PRIME MINISTER

Intelligence and Security Committee

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Prime Minister what (a) emoluments, (b) expenses and (c) facilities are available to the Chairman of the Intelligence and Security Committee; and if he will make a statement.

Tony Blair: holding answer 24 November 2005
	The Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) is supported by a clerk and secretariat in the Cabinet Office. The ISC Chairman and members are unpaid but expenses incurred by them in the course of their ISC duties are met from within the ISC's budget, which is funded by the Cabinet Office.

Iraq

Andrew Turner: To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to his statement of 16 November 2005, Official Report, column 96S, and the Secretary of State for Defence's statement of 17 November 2005, Official Report, columns 113–14, what account he took of the Attorney General's letter to Lord Astor of 9 July in making his statement.

Tony Blair: There is no contradiction between my comments and the Attorney-General's letter of 9 July. The Army Prosecuting Authority (APA) was established under the Armed Forces Act 1996 and acts independently of the military chain of command. As an additional measure of protection from interference, the APA is subject to the general superintendence of the Attorney-General but he is not responsible for taking decisions on individual prosecutions. There is nothing unusual about this practice which takes place with the other prosecutors superintended by the Attorney-General, for example, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), Serious Fraud Office, Revenue and Customs Prosecution Office, and the Public Prosecution Office Northern Ireland.

Iraq

Tim Loughton: To ask the Prime Minister how many times he has visited soldiers who are receiving hospital treatment in the UK after being wounded in Iraq.

Tony Blair: I have visited members of the armed forces both in the United Kingdom and abroad, and have met injured personnel on these occasions.

Nuclear Power

Nigel Evans: To ask the Prime Minister what (a) representations he has received from and (b) advice he has been given by his special scientific advisers in the last 12 months on nuclear power.

Tony Blair: Information relating to internal discussion and advice is generally not disclosed as to do so could harm the frankness and candour of internal discussion.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Carbon Dioxide

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what year-on-year projections he has made for the reductions of atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration estimated to result from present and proposed measures.

Elliot Morley: I have been asked to reply.
	As the 2003 Energy White Paper makes clear, UK emissions of CO 2 account for only about 2 per cent. of the global total, and therefore our own actions will only have a detectable impact on atmospheric CO 2 concentrations as part of a concerted international effort. Our policies on emissions are intended to contribute to an emission reduction of 60 per cent. by developed countries by 2050 leading to eventual stabilisation of atmospheric concentrations at below 550 parts per million, provided others take commensurate action.

Correspondence

Clare Short: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he will reply to the letter of 18 May from the hon. Member for Birmingham, Ladywood, on behalf of constituent Mike Josypenko regarding planned changes to UK trade and investment support for exporters.

Ian Pearson: I regret the delay, which was due to an administration error, but a full reply has now been sent.

Digital Broadcasting

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate his Department has made of the number of television sets that will be dumped following digital switchover; what legislation governs locations for recycling; and if he will make a statement.

Alun Michael: DTI and Defra have commissioned research to model any changes in patterns of waste disposal generated by digital switchover now that the time scale has been determined. Results from this research are expected early in 2006.
	A range of facilities recycle waste materials deriving from production processes or from disposal of finished products. These are subject to the various planning and regulatory controls which govern the location and operation of industrial production plants generally. Disposal of television set-top boxes and video recorders will all be subject to intended regulations implementing the Waste Electrical and electronic Equipment Directive which are planned to come into force in June 2006.

International Trade (Women's Participation)

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps the UK has taken to facilitate the active participation of women's organisations in international trade decision-making structures; and if he will make a statement.

Meg Munn: The Government is committed to ensuring gender considerations are mainstreamed in UK and EU trade policy development.
	To help achieve this, the Government set up the Gender Expert Group on Trade (GEGT) in early 2004. It is made-up of representatives from women's and development non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and academics to advise the Government on the gender implications of trade policy formulation.

Plumbers

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) how many registered plumbers there have been in each of the last 10 years.

Alun Michael: holding answer 23 November 2005
	There is no official register of plumbers in the UK as there is no licence to operate" requirement and I cannot be sure that the following information covers all areas of plumbing. Individual plumbers are employed by firms operating in both the domestic and commercial markets. Depending on the nature of their work and skills level, some would be more appropriately referred to as heating engineers. Especially in the domestic market, many plumbers are self-employed and may operate at a very local, or neighbourhood level.
	I understand that the Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineers has 12,200 active members, covering all categories and including trainees.
	There are two main trade associations, The Association of Plumbing and Heating Contractors (England and Wales) has 1,100 registered companies. The Scottish and Northern Ireland Plumbing Employers Federation has 6,500 active plumbers registered with them. The split is roughly NI 2,000; Scotland 4,500.

Telephone Preference Service

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  how many complaints regarding marketing calls have been received by the Information Commissioner from consumers following their registration for the telephone preference service for each year since 1999.
	(2)  how many companies have been subject to investigations by the Information Commissioner for breaches of telephone preference service arrangements for each year since 1999.

Alun Michael: I understand from the Information Commissioner that due to the nature of the casework management system previously used by his office, he is unable to provide specific numbers for telesales complaints prior to 2004, but the annual reports to Parliament each year have provided general figures for complaints and inquiries.
	3,040 complaints about the regulations were recorded as dealt with in 2004 (January to December) 597 of which were recorded as relating to phone calls. In 2005 the office has received 4,200 regulations complaints this year, 925 of which relate to phone calls.

Traffic Offences

Susan Kramer: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many people have been convicted for driving while using hand-held mobile telephones since January 2004; and if he will make a statement.

Fiona Mactaggart: I have been asked to reply.
	Motoring offences statistics are part of National Statistics. The pre-announced date for availability of 2004 data is March 2006.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Human Rights (Africa)

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on human rights in Africa.

Ian Pearson: Improving human rights is key to making Africa successful. That means tackling firmly any abuses, strengthening democratic governance, and addressing the causes of human rights problems, such as conflict and poverty. Africans are taking increasing responsibility for this. We are committed to helping them.

European Union

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the Government's priorities for the UK's presidency of the EU.

Douglas Alexander: As my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary told this House on 1 November, he set out the work programme for the UK presidency in detail in White Paper Cmnd 6611 presented to this House on 30 June.
	We have made progress in a number of areas, including the historic decision to open accession negotiations with Turkey and Croatia on 3 October.
	Only last week we achieved significant reform of the EU sugar regime. And we continue to work on a range of issues from the fight against terrorism to the future financing of the EU.

European Union

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the progress of negotiations on the EU budget.

Douglas Alexander: EU Foreign Ministers had substantive discussions on the EU budget for 2007–13 at the General Affairs and External Relations Councils on 7 and 21 November. On the basis of these, and other bilateral consultations, we will table comprehensive proposals in early December, and work towards agreement at the European Council on 15–16 December. Significant changes will be needed to the proposals tabled in June if we are to reach agreement.

Cameroon

David Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his counterparts in Cameroon.

Ian Pearson: Lord Triesman discussed human rights and migration with Dion Ngute, Minister Delegate at the Ministry of External Relations at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting on 24 November. Lord Triesman met the Cameroon high commissioner on 9 November on the issue of migration.

Israel

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Israeli security fence in combating terrorism.

Ian Pearson: The number of terrorist and other attacks has fallen in 2005 relative to previous years. A number of factors were responsible, including the barrier. But where, for example, the barrier separates Palestinians from Palestinians we do not believe the route is designed exclusively for security purposes. We continue to urge the Israeli Government to route the barrier on or behind the Green Line.

World Trade

Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on progress in the Doha round of world trade talks.

Ian Pearson: The World Trade Organisation ministerial conference in Hong Kong, in less than two weeks time, is vital to successfully concluding the current trade round. Many countries are arguing that too little progress has been made and ambitions for the ministerial conference should be lowered. But the Doha round is an opportunity to tackle some of the most fundamental injustices at the heart of world trade. We must not lower our ambitions.

Cuba

Colin Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what subjects Mr. Caleb McCarry recently discussed with officials of his Department.

Douglas Alexander: The recent meeting between United States Cuba Transition Coordinator, Caleb McCarry, and officials at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office was an introductory meeting to discuss the breadth of US and UK/EU policy towards Cuba.
	Ministers and officials continue to have a wide range of contacts on Cuba. This is in line with the EU's longstanding policy of constructive engagement in pursuit of a peaceful transition to a pluralist democracy.

Cuba

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which (a) Officials and (b) Ministers the United States Cuba Transition Co-ordinator met when in London recently; and on what dates.

Douglas Alexander: On 7 November 2005, the United States Cuba Transition Co-ordinator Caleb McCarry attended a meeting with Officials at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, chaired by the Deputy Head of the Latin America and Caribbean Department. He did not meet any Ministers during his visit.

Zimbabwe

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the Government's policy on human rights in Zimbabwe.

Ian Pearson: Zimbabwe's record is appalling. This year it has denied 700,000 vulnerable Zimbabweans, adequate housing in mass destructions, manipulated elections and continued its assault on unions, civil society and media.
	We continue to press for a return to democratic governance. We raise our concerns directly with the Government, maintain EU sanctions on those responsible for human rights abuses, and have put Zimbabwe on the Security Council agenda.

Uganda

Chris Mullin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to President Museveni of Uganda following the arrest of the opposition leader Dr. Besigye; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: My noble Friend the Minister for Africa, Lord Triesman of Tottenham and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Development met President Museveni on 23 November to press for a transparent and fair civilian trial for Dr. Besigye. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister also expressed his concerns directly to President Museveni at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Malta.

Iran

Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the likely effects of Iran's nuclear programme on regional stability.

Douglas Alexander: The proliferation of weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East would pose a serious threat to regional peace and stability. We remain deeply concerned about the intentions of Iran's nuclear programme. We have called on Iran to resume negotiations on long-term arrangements that would provide objective guarantees that its nuclear programme is for exclusively peaceful purposes.

Iran

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent communications his Department has had with India regarding Iran's nuclear development.

Douglas Alexander: During the last month, senior officials have been in frequent contact with their Indian opposite numbers over Iran's nuclear programme. We welcome India's support in encouraging Iran to meet the requests made by the International Atomic Energy Agency Board of Governors and to resume talks about a long-term solution on an acceptable basis.

United Nations

Jim Sheridan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on reform of the UN.

Ian Pearson: The UK strongly supports reform of the UN to make it better equipped to deal with the threats facing the international community.
	The reforms and commitments agreed at September's World Summit would, if fully implemented, represent an important step forward for the UN.
	The UK will continue to play an active role, as EU president and nationally, in urging progress on implementation.

Cyprus

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will meet the President of the National Federation of Cypriots in the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Douglas Alexander: The President of the National Federation of Cypriots in the UK, Mr. Sophoclides, has not recently requested a meeting with my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary. The Foreign Secretary regularly meets a range of interlocutors on Cyprus issues, including Mr. Sophoclides, whom he last met in his official capacity in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in February this year.

Cyprus

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the recent discussions between his Department and Turkish Cypriot leaders Mr. Talat and Mr. Soyer.

Douglas Alexander: My right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister met Mr. Soyer when he visited Cyprus in October and I met Mr. Soyer this month in London. Officials also maintain an open dialogue with representatives of the Turkish Cypriots. UK policy remains to help facilitate a just, viable and lasting settlement for the benefit of all Cypriots. We believe that only by engaging with both communities in Cyprus can we help make progress towards this objective.
	The Government maintains its long-standing position of non-recognition of the self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus".

Cyprus

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the Minister of State for Europe last met representatives of the Cypriot community in the UK.

Douglas Alexander: Ministers and officials maintain a close and extensive dialogue with the Government of the Republic of Cyprus. In addition, Ministers meet regularly with members of the Cypriot community in the UK, in both official and parliamentary capacities. My right hon. Friend the former Foreign and Commonwealth Office Minister of State for Europe (Mr. MacShane), last met representatives of the Cypriot community in March 2005 and I am willing to consider future requests for meetings.

Departmental Estate

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which buildings and sites used by his Department and related agencies (a) have ceased to be used in the last year and (b) will be closed under current plans for relocation.

Douglas Alexander: No buildings and sites have ceased to be used by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office within the UK in the last year. We intend to rationalise our central London estate and move out of our Albert Embankment, London, SE1, and Croydon premises in the next two years.

Departmental Staff

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to relocate staff in his Department and related agencies into London and the South East.

Douglas Alexander: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) is implementing the Lyons Review recommendation to relocate 450 FCO jobs out of London, to Hanslope Park, Buckinghamshire, by 2010. We have no plans to relocate jobs from Hanslope Park to London or to other parts of the South East.

Diego Garcia

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many (a) US military personnel and (b) civilian contractors reside in Diego Garcia (i) in total and (ii) broken down by nationality.

Douglas Alexander: There are currently 991 US Military personnel and 2347 civilian personnel posted to Diego Garcia. The civilian personnel are broken down as follows:
	2,224 Filipinos,
	40 Mauritians,
	one Singaporean,
	seven British,
	75 American.
	In addition there are 41 British military personnel posted to Diego Garcia.
	There is no settled or permanent population on Diego Garcia.

Ethiopia

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what factors he took into account when on behalf of the EU under the UK presidency he congratulated Prime Minister Meles of Ethiopia on his re-election.

Ian Pearson: The EU letter congratulated Prime Minister Meles on his re-election and welcomed the progress towards democracy represented by the May elections. It also urged him to demonstrate that the Opposition parties could play a constructive role in the new Parliament; to free detained activists not charged with any offence; and to conduct a prompt independent inquiry into the killings on 8 June. We are continuing to urge the Government of Ethiopia to take these measures and resume a political dialogue with the Opposition.

EU Council

Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what options for the improvement of its transparency he will present to the Council of the European Union as part of the UK presidency of the EU; and if he will make a statement.

Douglas Alexander: The UK presidency has recently tabled a paper setting out options for improving transparency in the Council. A copy of this paper has been sent to the Chair of the European Scrutiny Committee and the Chair of the EU Select Committee. One of these proposals advocates implementing more fully the existing provisions on transparency in the Council Rules of Procedure and the alternative proposes revising those provisions. We have also suggested that supporting measures to facilitate access to the Council's proceedings be considered. These proposals will be taken forward in COREPER (Committee of Permanent Representatives).

Freedom of Information

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many Freedom of Information applications his Department has received; how many have taken more than 20 days to process; and how many of these gave rise to complaints about the time taken.

Kim Howells: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) received 830 Freedom of Information (FOI) requests from 1 January 2005, when the Freedom of Information Act 2000 came fully into force, to 30 June 2005, the date to which full monitoring statistics were provided to the Department for Constitutional Affairs (DCA). Of these, 436 were answered within the 20 days specified in the Act; a further 249 received responses within permitted extended deadlines; and the remaining 145 received replies after the permitted deadlines. The FCO has received two complaints on timeliness grounds from the Information Commissioner.
	The DCA is committed to publishing quarterly updates in relation to departmental performance under FOI, including information on both the volume and outcomes of requests. The bulletin for the second quarter was published on 30 September 2005 and can be found on the DCA website at http://www.foi.gov.uk/statsapr-iun05.htm and in the Library of the House. The next bulletin will be published before Christmas and an annual report will be published in early 2006.

International Arrest Warrants

Phyllis Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether his Department is considering proposals to amend legislation on international arrest warrants.

Kim Howells: This is a matter for the Home Office.

International Arrest Warrants

Phyllis Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what meetings (a) he and (b) his Department has (i) had since 11 September and (ii) is planning to have with representatives of the Israeli (A) Ministry of Law, (B) State Attorney Office and (C) Foreign Ministry regarding the arrest warrant for General Almog.

Kim Howells: Officials at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office have met twice with officials from the Israeli Government. This includes the Israeli Foreign Ministry, Ministry of Justice and Israeli embassy since 11 September regarding the arrest warrant for General Almog.

Iraq

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  what assistance the Government is providing to (a) the Iraqi Interim Government and (b) the International Advisory and Monitoring Board to ensure that public funds in Iraq are administered in a transparent manner;
	(2)  what the role of the UK is in the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq in administering (a) the Development Fund for Iraq and (b) funds from other sources; and if he will make a statement.

Kim Howells: holding answer 28 November 2005
	The Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) ceased operating in Iraq at the end of June 2004, at which point control of the Development Fund for Iraq (DPI) was transferred to the sovereign Government of Iraq. We continue to encourage the transparent management of public funds by the Iraqi Government.
	The UK is providing economic technical assistance to the Iraqi Government to improve the transparency and management of public expenditure through reforms to the budget cycle. A team of UK-funded advisers also works closely with the Iraqi Ministry of Finance on essential reforms to the subsidy system which will help to improve transparency in public funds. The UK is also helping to build up the capacity of the Prime Minister's Office, the Iraqi Cabinet Office, the Ministry of Interior, and the southern Provincial Councils. This work is supporting the development of an effective Iraqi civil service which is able to administer public funds in a more accountable way. Earlier this year the National Audit Office hosted a study tour for the Iraqi Supreme Board of Audit to compare current practices. In addition, the UK is encouraging Iraq to sign up to the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative and to the UN Convention for Anti-Corruption.
	The role of the International Advisory and Monitoring Board (IAMB) is to act as an audit oversight body for DPI. Its purpose is to help ensure that the DPI is used in a transparent manner for the benefit of the people of Iraq and that export sales of petroleum, petroleum products, and natural gas from Iraq are consistent with prevailing international market best practices. IAMB membership includes representatives from the International Monetary Fund, World Bank, UN Secretary General's Office, Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development and Iraq's Ministry of Finance. External audits of the IAMB have been carried out by KPMG, The UK is not directly involved with the IAMB.

Libya

Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made in the context of the UK Presidency of the European Union to the Libyan Authorities regarding the situation of the Bulgarian nurses and the Palestinian doctor; and if he will make a statement.

Kim Howells: holding answer 28 November 2005
	On behalf of the EU, the UK Presidency issued a statement on 15 November 2005, noting the decision by the Libyan Supreme Court to delay its ruling on the death sentences on the Bulgarian and Palestinian medical staff, expressing our concern about their plight, and that we continue to support efforts to find a resolution, which is acceptable to both parties, to this difficult and longstanding issue. We are engaging with the Libyan and Bulgarian authorities to secure that outcome. At the same time, the UK is working with EU partners to provide humanitarian assistance to alleviate the HIV crisis in Benghazi, including through the EU HIV Action Plan.

Middle East

Eric Joyce: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the threat posed by Hezbollah to peace and stability in the middle east.

Ian Pearson: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave today to my hon. Friend the member for Hartlepool (UIN 32395).

Middle East

Jim Sheridan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many UK observers will be involved in the EU monitoring of the crossing between Egypt and Gaza at Rafah.

Kim Howells: On 15 November, EU Special Representative Javier Solana, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Quartet Special Envoy James Wolfensohn announced an Agreement between the Israelis and Palestinians on Movement and Access relating to the Gaza Strip. This Agreement will give the Palestinian people more freedom to move and to trade. The EU will act as an on-site Third Party at the Rafah (Gaza-Egypt) crossing and provide training and equipment to the Palestinians.
	The UK is sending five personnel to the mission this week commencing (28 November). Members of our embassy in Tel Aviv and our Consulate General in Jerusalem are working directly with General Pistolese's team on the ground. In addition to this, we are providing funding and equipment to the Palestinians, including the provision of five armoured cars.

Middle East

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the likely impact on the (a) economic situation and tourist industry of Bethlehem and (b) viability of a future Palestinian state of the creation by Israel of a new checkpoint at Rachel's Tomb.

Kim Howells: Bethlehem is of unique religious and cultural significance to Christians. Restrictions on access and freedom of worship there are one of the many negative consequences of the Israeli restrictions on movement in the West Bank and Jerusalem. Israel has a right to protect its citizens from terrorist attacks but it also has a duty to ensure the effect of its security measures on the Palestinian population are minimised. We will continue to raise this concern at all levels with the Israeli Government. In addition to this, we have seconded a senior British Army officer to the region to work with the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and Quartet Special Envoy James Wolfensohn's team to examine ways of improving freedom of movement in the West Bank.
	Checkpoints and the barrier have a serious detrimental effect on the Palestinian economy, including revenues from tourism, and in a few cases on the vision of a future Palestinian state.

Pakistan

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the Government of Pakistan for (a) a fair trial for Younas Maish in the court of Lahore and (b) protection to be given to the advocate of the defendant and court officials.

Douglas Alexander: We were concerned to learn about the apparent misuse of the Blasphemy Law in Pakistan in this case. We are following it closely and are discussing the case with the Government of Pakistan. We will continue to make representations as appropriate.

Public Service Agreement

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he will publish a public service agreement delivery plan for 2004 public service agreement target number 3.

Kim Howells: We do not intend to publish the spending review 04 public service agreement (PSA) delivery plan for 2005–08, as it is an internal business-planning tool. However, the Government regularly reports progress against PSA 3 in departmental annual and autumn performance reports. These reports are publicly available on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and other relevant Departments' websites. Details of the measurement systems underpinning the target are published in the PSA 3 technical note, which is also publicly available on the FCO website at www.fco.gov.uk

Royal Family

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list official visits abroad by members of the Royal Family in the last 12 months; and what the itinerary was in each case.

Douglas Alexander: holding answer 28 November 2005
	Details of visits overseas made by Members of the Royal Family appear daily in the Court Circular. Information is also available on the Royal websites at www.royal.gov.uk and www.princeofwales.gov.uk under the diary links. Detailed information is also given in the annual report for The Grant-in-Aid for Royal Travel by Air and Rail which is part of the Royal Public Finances Annual Reports publication. The list my hon. Friend requests is given as follows:
	The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh
	State visit by the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh to Malta 23–24 November 2005. Attendance by the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Valletta 25–26 November 2005. London-Luqa-London.
	The Duke of Edinburgh
	The Netherlands, 11 December 2004, Blackpool-Valkenburg-London.
	Vatican City, 23–24 April 2005, London-Rome-London.
	The Prince of Wales
	Sri Lanka, 28 February 2005 and Fiji, 10–11 March 2005. London-Colombo-Perth. Fiji-RAF Lyneham.
	Vatican, 7–8 April 2005, London-Rome-London.
	Turkey Gallipoli, 24–25 April 2005. Aberdeen-Cannakkale-RAF Lyneham.
	Germany, 27 June 2005 Aberdeen-Paderborn-RAF Lyneham.
	Saudi Arabia, 2–3 August 2005. Wick-Riyadh-Wick
	United States, 1–9 November, 2005. London-New York-Washington-New Orleans-San Francisco-London. Accompanied by the Duchess of Cornwall.
	The Duke of York
	Switzerland and Italy, 22–23 November, 2004. London-Geneva-Milan-London 1
	Singapore, Brunei, Malaysia and the Philippines, 24 November-5 December 2005.London-Singapore-Brunei-Kuching-Kuala Lumpur-Manila-London. 1
	Luxembourg, 15 January 2005. London-Luxembourg-London.
	UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Cyprus, 12–27 February 2005. London-Abu Dhabi-Dubai-Abu Dhabi-Jeddah-Riyadh-Bahrain-Kuwait-Muscat-Doha-RAF Akrotiri-London. 1
	Germany, 4–5 April 2005. London-Hamburg-Munich-London. 1
	Monaco, 14–15 April 2005. London-Nice-London.
	Japan and Thailand, 19–27 April 2005. London-Tokyo-Osaka-Kobe-Nagoya-Bangkok-Hua Hin-Phuket-Bangkok-Dubai-London.
	Russia, 8–11 May 2005. London-Murmansk-London.
	France, 17–18 May 2005. London-Paris-Toulouse-London. 1
	Azerbaijan, 24–26 May 2005. RAF Wattisham-Baku-London.
	Iraq, 20 August 2005. Abu Dhabi-Basra-Abu Dhabi.
	Slovakia and Hungary, 11–14 October 2005. London-Bratislava-Budapest-London. 1
	Bermuda, 3 6 November 2005. London-Bermuda-London.
	Republic of Korea, 13–17 November 2005. London-Tokyo-Incheon-Hong Kong-Los Angeles-London. 1
	Egypt, 28–30 November 2005. London-Cairo-Alexandria-London. 1
	The Earl of Wessex
	Poland 27 January. London-Katowice-London.
	Uruguay and Chile 28 February-3 March 2005. London-San Paulo-Montevideo-Santiago-Madrid-London.
	Monaco 18–20 November 2005, accompanied by he Countess of Wessex. London-Amsterdam-Nice-London.
	The Princess Royal
	British Virgin Islands and Montserrat 21–25 February 2005. London-Montserrat-Tortola-Kingston-London.
	Luxembourg 3 March 2005. Lyneham-Luxembourg-Brussels-Lyneham.
	China, Indonesia, East Timor and Papua New Guinea 20 September to 30 September accompanied by Admiral Timothy Laurence. London-Beijing-Shanghai-Hefei-Lanzhou-Wujiaba-Medan-Banda Aceh-Jakarta-Dili-Port Moresby-Singapore-London.
	The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester
	France, 6–7 December 2004. London-Paris-London.
	Germany, 8–9 March 2005, Duke only. London-Munster-London.
	Ireland, 16–17 March 2005. London-Cork-London.
	Germany, 16–17 April 2005. London-Hanover-London.
	Denmark, 4–5 May 2005. London-Copenhagen-London.
	Germany 24–25 June 2005, Duke only. London-Hanover-Hamlyn-Hanover-London.
	The Duke of Kent
	Austria 20–22 September 2005. London-Vienna-Graz-Vienna-London.
	Germany 29–30 October 2005. London-Berlin-Dresden-London.
	1 UK Special Representative for International Trade and Investment duties.

State Visits

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what state visits (a) by Her Majesty the Queen to foreign countries and (b) by foreign heads of state to the UK have been agreed; and what the planned dates of such visits are in each case.

Kim Howells: Announcements have already been made concerning Her Majesty the Queen's outward state visits to Malta 23–24 November 2005 and to Singapore 16–18 March 2006.
	Proposals and dates for further inward and outward state visits are kept under constant review. It is not our practice to announce such visits until they are firm and the formal invitation has been delivered to the Head of State of the country concerned.

Sudan

Sally Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the impact of recent events in the Darfur area of Sudan on the prospects for peace in the region.

Ian Pearson: We remain seriously concerned about the situation in Darfur. Although the African Union (AU) monitoring force has expanded and is increasingly effective, there are reports of tribal clashes as well as skirmishes within the Sudan Liberation army, and ongoing banditry. In his latest report on Darfur, the UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, notes that September and October recorded a rise in the number of people being killed. We continue to press the parties to rein in their fighters and to reach a political agreement within the UN Security Council's deadline of the end of the year. We have also made clear that those who are responsible for attacks must be held to account.
	It is only through political negotiation that a sustainable solution to the conflict will be found. The AU led talks in Abuja provide a political process and are making steady progress, although there is still a long way to go, particularly given rebel divisions. We are firmly committed to the Abuja process and are pushing for the negotiations to be better structured so as to have maximum impact on the immediate security situation on the ground. We have a UK observer at the talks, to support both the mediation and the parties and to provide technical assistance if needed.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Agicultural Levy Boards

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will publish the terms of reference for the investigation into agricultural levy boards.

Jim Knight: The terms of reference were published on the DEFRA website and laid in the Library of the House when the review of the agricultural and horticultural levy boards was announced on 15 March 2005. They are also reprinted in annex A of the report of the review, published on 11 November 2005.

Bees

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what improvements are planned to the work of the Plant and Invertebrate Ecology Division at Rothamsted Research Station into bee viruses;
	(2)  what arrangements are being made for the future preservation of bee viruses held at the Rothamsted Research Station.

Jim Knight: Rothamsted Research is sponsored by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council. It is one of several contractors with whom the Department funds research that supports our bee health policy to control pests and diseases of bees in England. Rothamsted completed a three-year Defra funded project on exotic bee viruses and their interactions under UK conditions in November 2004. While Defra has no current plans to commission further work on bee viruses at the institute, we have made provision for continuing expenditure on research on bee health.
	I understand that Rothamsted is considering future arrangements for the preservation of its collection of bee viruses and antisera and for access to this collection.

Bees

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether she plans to increase the number of bee inspectors; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The Bee Health Inspection and Advisory Service of the National Bee Unit undertakes a range of statutory disease control measures and delivers an extensive training programme to beekeepers to help maintain the health of the honey bee population.
	The Department has no current plans to increase the size of the Inspectorate in England. Funding on bee health and any changes to the provision of the inspection services will be considered as the Department's expenditure plans are developed for future years.

Bees

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has for beekeepers to be required to make their own diagnosis of European foulbrood in their colonies.

Ben Bradshaw: The responsibility to ensure the maintenance of a healthy bee population is a shared one between the Department and beekeepers. The National Bee Unit already provides a training programme that aims to help beekeepers become more self-reliant in controlling pests and diseases through improved disease recognition and bee husbandry techniques.
	The Department believes that beekeepers can take a greater measure of responsibility for the control of European foulbrood as improved disease control methods are developed. However, as was indicated to the House on 20 October, we will not make changes to the inspection arrangements for European foulbrood unless we are sure that bee health will not suffer as a result.

Biomass and Biofuels

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the division of departmental responsibilities for biomass and biofuels is between the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Department of Trade and Industry and the Department of Transport; and what reallocations of responsibility have occurred in 2005.

Jim Knight: In common with other policies and issues which are wide-ranging in their impact on the UK, there are a number of Government Departments with an interest in biomass and biofuels. There is strong liaison across the Departments both at ministerial and official level to ensure co-ordinated policy. Defra has responsibility for the role biomass and biofuels can play in sustainable development, climate change, air quality and rural issues. The Department of Trade and Industry is responsible for the overall renewable energy policy, new technology and industry development and sponsorship. The Department for Transport is responsible for transport policy and the promotion of low carbon fuels, including the Biofuels Directive and the Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation. No reallocations of responsibility have occurred in 2005.

Carbon Dioxide Emissions

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  whether the Government are continuing to aim to meet the target to cut carbon dioxide emissions by 20 per cent. by 2010;
	(2)  whether the Government plan to cut carbon dioxide emissions by 60 per cent. by 2050.

Elliot Morley: The manifesto reiterated the Government's commitment to reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 20 per cent. below 1990 levels by 2010 and stated that a 60 per cent. reduction by 2050 remains necessary and achievable.

Combined Heat and Power

Andrew Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress is being made towards achieving the year 2000 target of 5 gigawatts of installed combined heat and power (CHP) capacity in the UK: and what impact she expects the dismantling of the 18 megawatt CHP plant in Bury to have on this target.

Elliot Morley: The Government target for CHP, announced in 2000, is to achieve at least 10 gigawatts of Good Quality CHP capacity by 2010. Installed capacity at the end of 2004 was 5.6 gigawatts. We have no record of a CHP plant in Bury.

Commons Registration Act

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what guidance she has issued on whether a common registered under the Commons Registration Act 1965 which has consequently been mapped as access land under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 but which has an Order of Limitation placed on it by way of provisions under section 193 of the Law of Property Act 1925 has full access rights by ways of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000.

Jim Knight: Section 15 of the Countryside and Right of Way Act 2000 (CROW Act) lists enactments, under which the public has rights of access, including access on foot and higher rights such as horse riding. Where land which falls under these enactments has been mapped as open country or registered common land, the right of access under the CROW Act does not apply because an existing right is in place. Section 193 of the Law of Property Act 1925 is one of the enactments listed in section 15. The right of access under the CROW Act does not therefore apply to land which falls under section 193 of the Law of Property Act 1925 even if that land has an Order of Limitation placed on it.
	We have provided public guidance on section 15 in the context of appeals relating to the mapping of open country and registered common land and applications for restrictions and exclusions of the right of access. We have not so far seen a need to provide guidance specifically on those cases where land subject to section 193 of the Law of Property Act 1925 has an Order of Limitation placed on it.

Consultants

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what mechanisms are in place to assess the effectiveness of consultant-led projects in her Department; what sanctions are available to penalise consultants who ran unsuccessful projects; how many projects conducted by consultants were assessed as unsuccessful in each year since 2000; and what sanctions were imposed in each case.

Jim Knight: The planning, monitoring, control and delivery of projects and programmes in Defra is the responsibility of departmental management, not consultants. External resources are engaged to assist in the successful delivery of these projects and programmes and are subject to a raft of commercial, financial, procurement, technical and project quality assurance and standards. Additionally, OGC's Gateway Review process provides assurance at critical stages of a programme's or project's lifecycle.
	Service providers who do not deliver the required services to time, quality and cost are subject to remedies appropriate to the shortcomings identified up to and including, as a last resort, contract termination and pursuit of damages. From information held centrally, the Department is unaware of any projects or programmes that could merit classification as unsuccessful, because the Department's project and contract management procedures act to remedy any emerging difficulties in the planning, monitoring, control and delivery of departmental projects and programmes.
	No records are held centrally of sanctions applied within programmes, projects and contracts, and the information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Consultants

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her Department takes to ensure that consultancies do not claim excessive expenses while working for the Department and its agencies.

Jim Knight: Departmental governance arrangements require that expenses incurred by contractors, including consultancies, while working for the Department and its agencies are subject to validation and substantiation before authorisation for payment. The Department reserves the right to recover any monies overpaid to contractors to which they are not entitled.

Consultants

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list departmental projects conducted by consultants in each year since 2000; what the cost was in each case; and what the total cost of employing consultants was in each year.

Jim Knight: Defra came into being in June 2001. Departmental projects are the responsibility of departmental management. A list of departmental projects and their costs each year since 2000 could be provided only at disproportionate cost. On the total cost of employing consultants, a broad and imprecise term, I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave on 13 June 2005, Official Report, columns 35–36W, and on 21 July 2005, Official Report, columns 1962–63W to my hon. Friend the Member for Great Grimsby (Mr. Mitchell).

Cormorants

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many licences for the culling of cormorants were issued in England in each of the last five years; how many cormorants were killed under licence in England in each year; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The information requested is as follows.
	
		
			 Season Number of licenses granted Number of birds licensed to be shot Number of birds shot 
		
		
			 200102 99 570 189 
			 200203 120 603 273 
			 200304 146 828 499 
			 200405 331 1,996 1,258 
			 200506 355 2,302 (1) 
		
	
	(1) Returns due January 2006.
	The above table shows statistics from the start of each cormorant season, rather than for specific years.
	The numbers given for the 2005 season run to 17 November only.

Correspondence

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she willreply to the letter from the hon. Member for Coventry, South on the Draper Study on overhead power lines.

Jim Knight: holding answer 28 November 2005
	There is no record of this letter in the Department. If the hon. Member would like to resubmit this letter I will expedite a prompt reply

Countryside Stewardship Scheme

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to continue the Access Management Grant Scheme beyond 2007.

Jim Knight: The Access Management Grant Scheme was introduced to support access authorities (outside National Parks) in meeting the start-up costs in managing the new right of public access under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000.
	The right of access has now been commenced across England, and the Grant Scheme is due to come to an end for access authorities in mapping areas one to five in March 2006, and for remaining authorities in March 2007.
	On-going access management, and infrastructure maintenance costs, should be much lower than the initial start-up costs. However, I have asked the Countryside Agency to advise me as to whether there would be any benefit in extending the scheme for a further year. This would allow access authorities to benefit from three years worth of funding. The Agency is currently consulting access authorities and other stakeholders and I hope to make a decision in spring next year.

Countryside Stewardship Scheme

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she plans to publish the regulations covering the review of maps of open country and registered commons land produced under section 1 of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000.

Jim Knight: Section 10 of the Countryside and Right of Way Act 2000 requires the Countryside Agency to review the conclusive maps of open country and registered common land not more than 10 years after the time that each map was first issued and not less frequently than every 10 years thereafter. Before making any regulations covering the review of conclusive maps we need to consider how the review process ought to work. Both Defra and the Countryside Agency are currently undertaking lessons learned exercises and the outcome of these will help inform our decisions on the review process. We aim to undertake consultation on our proposals for the review of conclusive maps during the course of next year.

Deforestation

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research the Department has commissioned on the environmental consequences of deforestation.

Elliot Morley: Forests cover 30 to 40 per cent. of the earth's land area and provide several essential ecosystem services. For example, forests act as sinks for the world's terrestrial carbon stores, absorbing the carbon dioxide that is contributing to climate change. Forests are the repository of the great bulk of terrestrial biodiversity; regulate water cycles; maintain soil quality and reduce the risks of natural disasters such as floods.
	There is a vast amount of existing research on the environmental impacts of deforestation which guides UK policy. The UK Government remains in regular discussions with a number of international organisations that undertake significant forestry research such as the UN's Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), as well as spending about 20 million a year on forestry through country programmes and centrally funded research.
	Defra is engaged in several areas. For example under Defra's contract with the Hadley Centre for Climate Prediction and Research, Defra has commissioned work on the consequences of deforestation for the climate at local, regional and global scales. Defra also funds a range of forestry projects under the Darwin Initiative which helps developing countries to monitor biodiversity impacts and build capacity for conservation.

Departmental Finance

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the real terms percentage increase in allocated resources for her Department (a) was for the period 199798 to 200405 and (b) is estimated to be between 200506 and 200708 (i) for each period and (ii) for each year.

Jim Knight: Defra was only created in July 2001, therefore in the following table is the information requested based upon the Defra 2005 Departmental Report for the period 200102 onwards.
	
		
			(a) (b)(i) (b)(ii) 
			  Allocated resources ( million) GDP deflator Real term resources in 200405 prices ( million) Percentage increase per period Percentage increase per year 
		
		
			 200102 2,763 92.454 2,989   
			 200203 2,876 95.391 3,015 14.30 0.88 
			 200304 2,965 97.92 3,028  0.43 
			 200405 3,416 100 3,416  12.81 
			 200506(2) 3,358 102.501 3,276  -4.10 
			 200607 3,560 105.268 3,382 3.48 3.23 
			 200708 3,665 108.11 3,390  0.24 
		
	
	(2) Forecast for years 200506 to 200708, derived from HM Treasury forecasts for GDP deflator increases as per the Budget Report 2005.

Departmental Staff

Michael Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many of her Department's staff have moved to Worcester from London since 1997.

Jim Knight: Defra was created in June 2001 and since that date 10 members of staff have transferred from London to Worcester with funding assistance from the Department.

Departmental Transport

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations her Department, and its local departmental offices, have received on parking on local roads by her Department's staff and IBM contractors at her Department's offices in Epsom Road, Merrow, Guildford.

Jim Knight: Defra has received representations from local residents residing in Down Road, Daryngton Drive, Carroll Avenue, Gateways, Broadwater Rise, Pitt Farm Road.
	Representations have also been received from the local constabulary, and from the local authority community safety officer.

Departmental Transport

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps officials located in departmental offices in Epsom Road, Merrow, Guildford are taking to minimise the environmental and adverse impact of car parking by staff and contractors in Down Road and other nearby roads.

Jim Knight: The Department is giving priority to developing a joint travel plan that will apply to staff and external contractors.

Endangered Flora and Fauna

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her most recent assessment is of the most endangered species of (a) flora and (b) fauna in Staffordshire; and what steps are being taken to reverse their decline.

Jim Knight: The Staffordshire Biodiversity Action Plan provides an assessment of the flora and fauna of high nature conservation value in Staffordshire and is subject to regular review. In addition the Staffordshire Ecological Record Centre is able to provide the latest information on many species of conservation concern.
	Over the latter half of the last century, there has been a general decline in the area and quality of wildlife habitats in Staffordshire and their associated species of flora and fauna. A number of measures are in place to address these issues. The Staffordshire Biodiversity Action Plan contains plans for 15 habitats, 23 species of fauna and six species of flora. It has identified priority actions and targets, such as restoring 800 ha of heathland by 2010. Staffordshire also contains 64 statutorily protected sites of special scientific interest (SSSI), covering 9,228 hectares, which have been notified by English Nature to protect the best of Staffordshire's wildlife resource.
	At the national level, action is being taken to protect and enhance our biodiversity such as the roll-out of the new higher level and entry level agri-environment schemes; the recent publication of Planning Policy Statement 9 on Biodiversity and Geological Conservation and the proposed biodiversity duty within the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Bill which places a duty on all public bodies to have regard to the purpose of conserving biodiversity.

English Wine

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what support she provides for English wine producers.

Jim Knight: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 11 July 2005, Official Report, column 646W. Since that reply the UK has been serving British food and drink, including English wines at the regular Council meetings during the UK Presidency of the EU. We will continue to do so for the remaining period of our Presidency.

Environment Agency (Fuel Switching Coordinator)

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when the position of fuel switching coordinator was created at the Environment Agency; and what actions her Department took to inform energy intensive users of this appointment.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 28 November 2005
	The Environment Agency tasked a member of staff with this role on 12 October 2005. His appointment, name and contact details were communicated by ofgem to their Demand Side Management Group (DMSMG) at a meeting on 13 October 2005. The DSMG includes British Energy, MEUC, Shell, British Gas Business, Centrica Energy, Total, National Grid, APX, Chemicals Industries Association and GdF.
	The Environment Agency subsequently contacted electricity producers and briefed Trade Associations at routine bilateral meetings.

EU Emissions Trading Scheme

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proposals her Department has considered for derogation from emissions limits under the EU Emissions Trading Scheme for energy intensive users in the event of (a) gas shortages and (b) sustained high gas prices this winter.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 28 November 2005
	The EU Emissions Trading Scheme is a cost-effective and efficient way of reducing carbon dioxide emissions, which allows industry to achieve emissions reduction targets at the point of least cost. In the event of temporary tightness in the gas supply market there is no limit on fuel switching and the carbon market provides industry with the flexibility to source further allowances if energy intensive users exceed their emissions cap.

Farming

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what tests have been applied to applications for the 2005 single farm payment scheme in England to ensure that the applicants are in legal occupation of the holdings used for their claim.

Jim Knight: holding answer 29 November 2005
	There is no requirement in the European Regulations governing the Single Payment Scheme that the farmer claiming aid has to be in legal occupation of the land supporting the claim. However, to receive payment the farmer must carry out an agricultural activity or maintain the land in good agricultural or environmental condition and the land has to be at the farmer's disposal for 10 months of the year between prescribed dates. Compliance monitoring inspections, including checks on the 10 month provision, are undertaken on a proportion of claims. Where two or more claims are made on the same land parcel claims will be investigated and resolved.

Farming

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in what circumstances action taken by a farmer prior to the Mid-Term Review is deemed to be a breach of cross-compliance.

Jim Knight: Cross compliance came into force on 1 January 2005 following an extensive period of discussion and consultation with stakeholders. The requirements are based on existing law and good farming practices. Farmers choosing to claim the single payment confirm that they are aware of, and are meeting the standards as part of their application. A breach of the relevant requirements on or after that date will be regarded as a non-compliance and will be assessed for a penalty as required by the EC Regulations. Breaches which commenced prior to the introduction of cross compliance and are continuing, through an act or omission of the farmer, into 2005, will also be assessed for a penalty. If farmers have concerns about penalties for breaches committed prior to cross compliance coming into force, we would urge them to contact the Rural Payments Agency.

Farming

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on proposals to increase the budget of the Hill Farming Allowance Scheme to preserve the public benefit from upland farming.

Jim Knight: The current Hill Farm Allowance is part of the England Rural Development Programme for 200006, which implements the rural development elements of the common agricultural policy, using a combination of EU and national funding. The EU budget for rural development for the next programming period (200713), and the EU funds available in England, will depend on the outcome of the current EU future financing negotiations.
	Decisions on whether to implement the specific EU measure which applies to the less favoured areas, and if so how much of the available funding will be allocated specifically to hill farming, and in what form, will be taken as part of the preparation of the next rural development programme for England, and in the light of responses to a forthcoming consultation. The usual discussions between Departments with an interest will take place as part of that process. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State made clear in her announcement on the Single Payment Scheme on 22 April that we would consider how the next round of rural development programming can better reflect the needs of upland communities, and the public interest in good management of some of our best-loved landscapes.

Greenhouse Gases

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 8 November 2005, Official Report, columns 32122W, on greenhouse gases, if she will publish a further table using the published provisional 2004 figures as the most recent available.

Elliot Morley: The table shows projected UK greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and percentage reductions during the commitment period obtained by assuming that the linear trend in emissions of the last (a) five years, (b) four years, (c) three years, (d) two years and (e) one year continue, based on the most recent published UK Greenhouse Gas Inventory data, which cover the period 1990 to 2003 and using the provisional 2004 estimate.
	In the Government's view the provisional estimate for 2004 is very unsuitable for the analysis requested. This is because, under the calculation method proposed, the additional uncertainty (+/-1%) associated with the final provisional data point enters in to all the estimates and is magnified by the projection process to form an uncertainty of between +72 and of +/-6 percentage points over the Kyoto commitment period.
	In addition, in comparison with the results already presented, the difference in projected percentage reduction due to shifting the base year of projection from 2003 inventory data to 2004 provisional estimates ranges between 1 and 12 percentage points.
	
		
			  Projections based on trend back (years) Average UK GHG emission 200812 (MtC) Reduction from Kyoto Protocol base year emissions (percentage) 
		
		
			 (a) Five 180.1 (+73.9) -12.1 (+71.9) 
			 (b) Four 180.9 (+74.5) -11.8 (+72.2) 
			 (c) Three 175.2 (+75.4) -14.6 (+72.6) 
			 (d) Two 189.7 (+77.2) -7.5 (+73. 5) 
			 (e) One 188.9 (+712.5) -7.9 (+76.1) 
		
	
	Projections based purely on extrapolation from past data are inherently unsound, particularly where the record is very short in duration. Neither this set of projections, nor the set published in the reply given on 8 November, takes specific account of expectations about the future of energy supply, economic activity, fuel prices, sectoral trends and effects of policy measures and for this reason they are not a sound basis for judging whether the UK will meet its commitments under the Kyoto Protocol.

Home Energy Conservation

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she has taken to review guidelines on the Home Energy Conservation Act 1995.

Elliot Morley: We are currently in the process of drawing-up, with the key stakeholders, the terms of reference to a review of the guidance issued to energy conservation authorities in England on compliance with the Home Energy Conservation Act 1995.

Household Waste

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage of household waste to be recycled or composted she would accept as further improvement by 2008 for the purposes of measuring achievement against 2004 public service agreement target 6.

Jim Knight: The Department recently launched a consultation on options for local authority statutory performance standards on recycling and composting in 200708. The Government's preferred option would deliver a national recycling and composting rate of approximately 28.5 per cent. in 200708. This would put England on course to meet the national recycling and composting target of 30 per cent. by 2010 as set out in Waste Strategy 2000.

Hunting

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her policy is on the use of scents for (a) drag and (b) trail hunting on Forestry Commission land; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The Forestry Commission has entered a Drag Hunting Agreement for one season with the Master of Foxhounds Association (MFHA). This sets out the terms on which their member hunts can apply to the Forestry Commission for a specific licence to drag hunt. The terms are identical to those agreed with the Master of Bloodhounds and Draghounds Association (MBDA) who have operated on the public forest estate for a number of years. The MBDA code of conduct on scents is included in the MFHA Agreement as follows:
	The scent used must be artificial and may be chemical or animal based. The scent used should not be easily confused by the hounds with a wild mammal. Under no circumstances should a carcass or part of one, the hunting of which is illegal, be used as the scent.

Land Maps

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the number of farmers and landowners who have failed to provide maps for parcels of land.

Jim Knight: Following initial validation of the Single Payment Scheme claims the Rural Payments Agency has requested maps from some 13,000 claimants of which 6,000 have been received.

National Minimum Wage

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many employees in her Department were affected by the rise in the national minimum wage on 1 October 2005.

Jim Knight: Seven staff in the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS), an Executive agency of DEFRA, received an increase to their salaries on 1 October 2005, pending the application of the CEFAS 2005 pay award (applicable from 1 April 2005), which will take the lowest pay band minima in the agency above the national minimum wage.

Pesticides

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 12 September 2005, Official Report, columns 231314W, on pesticides, if she will express the quantities used in each year in terms of volume.

Elliot Morley: Details of the volume of pesticide applied are only kept for those products which have a liquid formulation. Details of the volumes of such products applied since 1990, when our records began, are as follows:
	
		million
		
			  Litres 
			  Volume of active substance Volume of product 
		
		
			 1990 24.5 40.4 
			 1991 24.8 40.8 
			 1992 28.6 46.3 
			 1993 30.7 50.0 
			 1994 32.5 51.2 
			 1995 33.9 52.4 
			 1996 35.7 55.4 
			 1997 35.6 56.0 
			 1998 35.5 57.3 
			 1999 35.2 57.3 
			 2000 32.9 54.8 
			 2001 32.8 54.7 
			 2002 30.9 51.8 
			 2003 30.6 51.5 
			 2004 31.1 54.0 
		
	
	Pesticides which are not formulated as liquid formulations such as powders or granules are not recorded in these figures.

Predictive Diallers

John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many calls were made from call centres in her Department in 200405 using predictive diallers; how many such calls resulted in contact being made with the recipient without a Government agent available to talk to them; and what assessment she has made of the likely impact of Ofcom's policy on silent calls on the use of predictive diallers in departmental call centres.

Jim Knight: Defra does not use predictive diallers.

Public Service Agreement

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the data required to measure the sharing of risk management with industry for the purposes of measuring performance against 2004 public service agreement target 1 are available to her.

Jim Knight: Progress towards achieving the public service agreement target 1 is evaluated annually using the set of 68 UK sustainable development strategy indicators. Specific indicators relating to the impacts of industry are:
	Carbon dioxide emissions by end user (including industry)
	Manufacturing sector carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, sulphur dioxides and particulates
	Water abstractions in total
	Waste arisings from industry and commerce
	Resource use as measured by domestic material consumption.
	The indicators were published in June 2005 in Sustainable development indicators in your pocket 2005, copies of which were sent to all Members of Parliament. Copies were also placed in the Library of the House. The indicators are also available via the UK Government's sustainable development website:
	www.sustainable-development.gov.uk

Public Service Agreement

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what time scale she has set for achievement of 2004 public service agreement target 6.

Jim Knight: As set out in DEFRA's PSA target 6, Government are committed to enable at least 25 per cent. of household waste to be recycled or composted by 200506, with further improvements by 2008.

Red Squirrels

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State forEnvironment, Food and Rural Affairs what the redsquirrel population is estimated to be in Northamptonshire.

Jim Knight: There are no red squirrel populations in Northamptonshire. This native species is in serious decline as a result of habitat fragmentation and the spread of the grey squirrel. Conservation effort is focused on protecting large areas of coniferous woodland (mainly in northern England) that have no grey squirrels and can be defended against their incursion.

Red Squirrels

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate shehas made of the red squirrel population in Staffordshire.

Jim Knight: Red squirrels are known to have survived in some parts of Staffordshire until the 1980s and the last population recorded was in the Forestry Commission's Cannock Forest. The last red squirrel sighting in Staffordshire was a road casualty in Cannock Forest in 1990. A study in the early 1990s, which concluded in 1996, failed to record any red squirrels.

Rural Payments Agency

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  if she will publish all the guidance and instruction given to Rural Payments Agency inspectors for the enforcement of the rules on cross-compliance;
	(2)  what targets have been set for Rural Payments Agency inspectors checking cross-compliance.

Jim Knight: holding answer 29 November 2005
	The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) has a legislative requirement to carry out checks on at least one percent of all farmers submitting aid applications under support schemes as established in Titles III and IV of Regulation (EC) 1782/2003.
	There is no target set for inspectors finding problems on cross compliance inspections. They carry out inspections and are asked to report what they observe in accordance with the Guidance for Cross Compliance Inspectors and Penalty Reduction Matrices.
	RPA is currently in the process of publishing all its current Guidance for Cross Compliance Inspectors and Penalty Reduction Matrices on its website www.rpa.gov.uk and on request from RPA.
	The Penalty Reduction Matrices will also be published in the Cross Compliance Handbook for England 2006 edition which will be circulated to single payment scheme applicants in December 2005.
	RPA and devolved Administrations have worked closely to bring about shared ownership of these documents and a common approach across the UK where there are similar cross compliance standards.

Single Farm Payment

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State forEnvironment, Food and Rural Affairs what the target date is for the commencement of the single farmpayment; and if she will consider paying interest on late payments where the delay is caused by her Department.

Jim Knight: holding answer 22 November 2005
	The Rural Payments Agency is still working towards a target date of starting payments in February. The regulatory payment deadline is 30 June and consideration would not be given to paying interest before that time.

Single Farm Payment

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many farmers have yet to submit maps in relation to applications for single payments.

Jim Knight: Following the initial validation of the Single Payment Scheme claims the Rural Payment Agency has requested maps from some 13,000 claimants of which 6,000 have been received.

Snares

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will take steps to ensure that the contract to survey the use of snares will be subject to an open tender process.

Jim Knight: Defra published a Snares Action Plan on 19 October 2005 in response to the report by the Independent Snares Working Group. The action plan sets out the next steps during the next three years, which includes a review of the priorities for wildlife management research. Further information may be found on www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-countryside/vertebrates/snares/index.htm.
	A review of the whole of Defra's wildlife management research programme will be undertaken in February 2006. It will consider all future research priorities across the programme, including a survey of the use of snares and whether it will be subject to an open tender process.

Suckler Cow Production

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment has been made of (a) the future of suckler cow production in upland farms and (b) consequential environmental change as a result of the impact of the Single Farm Payment on this sector.

Jim Knight: Prior to the implementation of the latest round of CAP reform and the introduction of the Single Payment Scheme, my Department commissioned assessments on possible impacts of decoupling on a range of sectors, including suckler cows in the uplands. These suggest that suckler cow production is expected to decrease as a result of CAP reform.
	Assessments have also been made on possible environmental impacts which reveal that grazing by cattle plays an important role in the maintenance of heather moor land, an important habitat for biodiversity. It is for this reason my officials have submitted to the European Commission for approval, the inclusion of payments within the Environmental Stewardship schemes to provide incentives for appropriate cattle grazing in the uplands.
	All of these assessments are, understandably, speculative and the agricultural and environmental impacts of the Single Payment Scheme will depend on a range of factorsnot least the response of suckler beef farmers in their individual businesses. It is therefore too soon to predict categorically what the impacts will be.

Urban Gulls

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the problems caused by urban gulls; and if she will commission research into the breeding patterns of such gulls.

Jim Knight: DEFRA recognises the problems which can be caused by an increasing urban gull population. It is for this reason that my Department issues a general licence under section 16 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 to allow the control of certain species of gulls by local authorities and other authorised persons where they are a threat to public health and safety. These birds include the following species of gullslesser black-backed gull, greater black-backed gull and the herring gull. However, licences cannot be issued to control gulls where they are merely causing a nuisance and to do so would be in breach of the EU Birds Directive.
	DEFRA is in regular contact with the Central Science Laboratory (CSL) and has recently been provided with a preliminary evaluation of the issues involved and current state of knowledge on the problems caused by gulls. The CSL are also conducting research, although not commissioned by DEFRA, into the impact of waste management facilities as a food source for gull populations and also the problem of bird-strikes on aircraft.

Warm Front Scheme

Paddy Tipping: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many households in the Nottinghamshire constituency have received assistance under the Warm Front Scheme in each year since its introduction.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 29 November 2005
	Between the launch of the Warm Front Scheme in June 2000 and the 31 March 2005, the numbers of households assisted in Sherwood for each year are:
	
		
			 Period Number of households assisted 
		
		
			 200001 185 
			 200102 822 
			 200203 547 
			 200304 483 
			 200405 531 
			 Total 2,568 
		
	
	The numbers of households assisted in the Nottinghamshire area for each year are:
	
		
			 Period Number of households assisted 
		
		
			 200001 2,657 
			 200102 11,413 
			 200203 5,761 
			 200304 4,589 
			 200405 5,273 
			 Total 29,693

Water Consumption

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures are being taken to reduce water consumption.

Elliot Morley: The promotion of greater water efficiency particularly in households is a key priority for Defra. In order to give this work appropriate priority I have established a Water Saving Group (WSG) to identify practical ways in which Defra can work with ODPM, OfWat, the Environment Agency, water companies and other bodies in order to encourage the efficient use of water in households.
	The Government also supports a number of programmes to further sustainable water use within the business sector, such as Envirowise and the Enhanced Capital Allowance scheme for designated water efficient technologies.
	Regulations set standards for the amount of water use in certain water fittings and Defra is currently exploring the feasibility of introducing a voluntary labelling scheme for water efficient products.
	Water companies carry out a range of activities under their statutory duty to promote the efficient use of water by their customers. They also recognise the need to give greater priority to this work area and have established waterwise as an independent organisation to enhance water efficiency activities.

Wildlife and Countryside Act

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State forEnvironment, Food and Rural Affairs how manyprosecutions have taken place under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Knight: There are no specific data available for prosecutions brought for offences under Part 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. The only figures available relate to the number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates' courts for offences under the categories of Cruelty to Animals and Wild Bird Protection Acts, which may include offences under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. These data can be found through the following link;
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/commandpubs1.html

SOLICITOR-GENERAL

Army Prosecution Authority

Andrew Robathan: To ask the Solicitor-General if the Attorney-General will make a statement on his (a) responsibility for and (b) role in general superintendence of the Army Prosecution Authority.

Mike O'Brien: A paper on the Attorney-General's ministerial superintendence of the Army Prosecuting Authority was placed in the Libraries of both Houses on 14 June 2004.

Crown Prosecution Service

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Solicitor-General what proportion of cases handled by the Crown Prosecution Service in Northamptonshire were abandoned (a) for evidential reasons, (b) for public interest reasons, (c) because the prosecution was unable to proceed and (d) for other reasons in the last year for which figures are available.

Mike O'Brien: During the year ending September 2005 the number and proportion of prosecutions stopped by the CPS in Northamptonshire was as follows:
	
		
			  Number Percentage 
		
		
			 Evidential reasons 702 5.6 
			 Public interest reasons 624 5 
			 Prosecution unable to proceed 306 2.5 
			 Other reasons 152 1.2 
			 Total 1,784 14.3

Crown Prosecution Service

Lynne Jones: To ask the Solicitor-General whether, in coming to the decision not to prosecute Babar Ahmad, the Crown Prosecution Service asked the United States authorities to provide the evidence upon which they were basing the request for extradition.

Mike O'Brien: At the time of making the decision not to prosecute Babar Ahmed, the Crown Prosecution Service was aware of the nature of the evidence in the possession of the United States authorities.

Crown Prosecution Service

John Maples: To ask the Solicitor-General how many cases Warwickshire Crown Prosecution Service has (a) considered for prosecution and (b) prosecuted in each of the last five years; and how many convictions were obtained in each of those years.

Mike O'Brien: Crown Prosecution Service case outcomes are measured in relation to the number of cases completed, rather than the number considered. The following table shows the number completed in Warwickshire in each of the last five financial years and, of this total, the number in which a prosecution proceeded to trial or guilty plea, and the number resulting in a conviction. The table also shows the number of cases which resulted in an early termination, and the number which resulted in acquittal after trial.
	
		Case outcomes CPS Warwickshire
		
			  200001 200102 200203 
			  Number Percentage Number Percentage Number Percentage 
		
		
			 Total completed cases 8,030  8,863  8,144  
			
			 Early terminations:   
			 Discontinuances 765 9.5 860 9.7 760 9.3 
			 Administrative finalisations 395 4.9 505 5.7 357 4.4 
			 Total early terminations 1,160 14.4 1,365 15.4 1,117 13.7 
			
			
			 Cases proceeding to a hearing 6,870 85.6 7,498 84.6 7,027 86.3 
			 Of which:   
			 Acquittals 66 0.8 42 0.5 49 0.6 
			 Guilty pleas 5,684 70.8 5,989 67.6 5,647 69.3 
			 Proofs in absence 887 11.0 1,301 14.7 1,161 14.3 
			 Convictions after contest 233 2.9 166 1 .9 170 2.1 
			 Total convictions 6,804 84.7 7,456 84.1 6,978 85.7 
		
	
	
		
			  200304 200405 
			  Number Percentage Number Percentage 
		
		
			 Total completed cases 8,945  9,312  
			  
			 Early terminations: 
			 Discontinuances 860 9.6 713 7.7 
			 Administrative finalisations 222 2.5 127 1.4 
			 Total early terminations 1,082 12.1 840 9.0 
			  
			  
			 Cases proceeding to a hearing 7,863 87.9 8,472 91.0 
			 Of which: 
			 Acquittals 54 0.6 50 0.5 
			 Guilty pleas 5,901 66.0 5,735 61.6 
			 Proofs in absence 1,768 19.8 2,460 26.4 
			 Convictions after contest 140 1.6 226 2.4 
			 Total convictions 7,809 87.3 8,421 90.4

Departmental Staff

Nick Gibb: To ask the Solicitor-General what assessment he has made of the (a) literacy and (b) numeracy skills of new recruits to the Law Officers' departments.

Mike O'Brien: New recruits are required to meet a level of skills, knowledge and experience appropriate to the post. Specific assessments are made of literacy and numeracy skills only if the job requires a particular level of expertise which cannot be otherwise demonstrated by the candidate.

Iraq

Andrew Robathan: To ask the Solicitor-General on how many occasions the Attorney-General has taken a decision on whether to prosecute cases relating to personnel serving in Iraq.

Mike O'Brien: holding answer 28 November 2005
	None.

TRANSPORT

A21

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to hold public consultations on the proposed A21 upgrade other than in Hurst Green, East Sussex.

Stephen Ladyman: Public consultation on the proposed upgrade of the A21 from Pembury to Hastings was carried out in 200203. The consultation included specific proposals for the Tonbridge to Pembury and Kippings Cross to Lamberhurst sections. East Sussex county council held consultation during February/March 2004 for their Bexhill to Hastings Link Road, which included the Highways Agency's proposals for the A21 Baldslow Link. The proposals for upgrading the remainder of the A21, Lamberhurst to Flimwell and Robertsbridge to Hastings, will be reviewed in the light of progress on the Flimwell to Robertsbridge Improvement.

A21

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to hold public consultations on the proposed Bexhill to Hastings link road in East Sussex.

Stephen Ladyman: Public consultations on the Bexhill to Hastings link road are a matter for East Sussex county council, as the local highway authority promoting the scheme.

Airport Policing

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to his written statement of 21 November 2005, Official Report, column 98WS, on policing airports, whether Newcastle airport will be included in the wide-ranging review he has announced; and what the criteria are for airport designation under section 25 of the Aviation Security Act 1982.

Karen Buck: The review will look at policing at airports generally. It will consider the appropriateness of the current system of designation, including the criteria that might be applied, as well as possible alternative options.

Crown Land

George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his policy is on authorising the compulsory purchase of third party interest in Crown land for which he is responsible.

Stephen Ladyman: The Secretary of State's consideration of authorising compulsory purchase of third party interests in Crown land is a statutory, not policy, one. When considering whether to authorise such compulsory purchase, in an order submitted by a local highway authority for which he is confirming authority, the Secretary of State will consider the merits of the proposals including the acquisition of third party interests in Crown land and take into account any objections from those affected by the proposals. In reaching a decision he will take into account the guidance given by the Deputy Prime Minister in circular 6/2004. Similar considerations will be applied when a compulsory purchase order is promoted by the Secretary of State and a decision is taken whether the order should be made.

Cycling

George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many times he has met representatives of the cycling community over the past 12 months; where these meetings took place; and if he will place copies of the minutes of these meetings in the Library.

Derek Twigg: Department for Transport Ministers have had a number of meetings with representatives of the cycling community over the last year, including several at Great Minster House with Phillip Darnton, the Chairman of Cycling England. Ministers have also made a number of visits around the country to cycling facilities and meetings with local cycling interests. Minutes of these meetings are for internal records only.

General Development Order 1995

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many Article 14 directions under the 1995 General Development Order have been served in each region of England in each year since 1999; and if he will list all such directions and their location in respect of the north-east region since 1 April 1999.

Stephen Ladyman: holding answer 24 November 2005
	An Article 14 direction is any type of response given by the Secretary of State for Transport to a planning application, be it refusal, conditions, advice, holding direction or consent.
	The current database for monitoring Article 14 directions does not allow this type of information to be collated by region. Over England as a whole, the information requested is as follows for the last financial year:
	
		
			  200405 
		
		
			 Planning application consultations received 3,733 
			 Directions of refusal 79 
			 Directions of conditions 137 
			 Directions of restrictions on grant of permission 72 
		
	
	Note:
	Data for earlier years are not available centrally.
	A specific analysis of planning applications has been carried out for the Highways Agency's Maintenance Area 14 (which generally corresponds to the north-east region). This shows that over the period 18 August 2003 to 23 November 2005, there were 394 planning applications. Directions of refusal were given in five cases as follows. In each case the direction of refusal was given on road safety grounds:
	23 February 2004Northallerton Construction of cattery
	5 May 2004Stockton Road, Seaham, free-standing trailer signs
	26 November 2004The Old Mill, Elwick, New dwelling and garage
	23 June 2005The Old Mill, Elwick, New dwelling and garage
	4 August 2005Blenkinsopp Castle, Greenhead, new self-catering visitors block
	The Department is currently improving existing monitoring systems so that a full regional analysis can be provided in future.

Greater Western Franchise

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the successful bidder for the new Greater Western Franchise will be announced.

Derek Twigg: The Department plans to announce the successful bidder for the Greater Western Franchise in December 2005.

Merseytram

George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the level of contingency funding needed to underpin the construction of the Merseytram Line 1; and if he will place copies of the papers relating to that assessment in the Library;
	(2)  what assessment his Department has made of the contingency requirements for the construction costs of Merseytram Line 1; when these assessments were carried out; what the results of these assessments were; and if he will place copies in the Library.

Derek Twigg: Before giving the scheme provisional approval in 2002, the Department commissioned an audit of the project costs. No further audit has been undertaken since then.
	The Department made it clear in December 2002 that our contribution was capped at 170 million. Any contingency for funding above this level was for the promoters to assess and to fund.
	Merseytravel submitted a final bid for Merseytram Line 1 in November 2004, and further advised on the costs in May 2005. In considering Merseytravel's bid, the Department considered whether the scheme offered value for money, taking into account the total costs of the scheme, including an allowance for risk. For this purpose, the Department took Merseytravel's estimate of the cost of the scheme, including Merseytravel's proposed contingency provision and 6 per cent. optimism bias uplift. The Department considered that the 6 per cent. optimism bias uplift would probably be reasonable at the point of contract signing, but also considered the impact of a 15 per cent. uplift on the benefit cost ratio.
	Following that consideration, the Secretary of State announced on 13 June that the Government would not increase its funding for the scheme, but that 170 million remained available if the scheme could be delivered for that cost. It has been for the promoters to consider what contingency funding they need in the light of that statement.

Merseytram

Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what advice he has given to (a) Merseyside local authorities and (b) Merseytravel on the commitments they are required to make to enable the Merseytram project to proceed; and when this advice was given.

Derek Twigg: holding answer 8 November 2005
	Since the project was first approved, the Department has provided clear advice to the Merseyside authorities that the Department's contribution to Merseytram was capped at 170 million. All costs above this level would have to be met from local sources and that appropriate assurances would be needed from authorities contributing to the costs of the scheme.

Motor Vehicle Accidents

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many deaths from motor vehicle accidents on private land there were in each year for which records are available.

Stephen Ladyman: The information requested is not available.

Railways

George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he will publish the consultation on draft guidance relating to the proposed new Railways Closures Procedures introduced by the Railways Act 2005; and when he expects those procedures to be in force.

Derek Twigg: We expect to consult on the closure guidance shortly. The guidance will come into force after the consultation and consideration of comments received is completed.

Rolling Stock

Gwyneth Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many train sets were ordered from United Kingdom companies that assemble train sets in the United Kingdom in each year between 1994 and 2004; and what the projected number of orders for train sets from those companies is for each year between 2005 and 2010.

Derek Twigg: Bombardier is now the only manufacturer who builds/assembles train sets in the United Kingdom. Alstom previously built trains in the United Kingdom at Washwood Heath, Birmingham until it made a decision to close its facilities in the UK.
	Following is the number of vehicles ordered since rail privatisation which were built or assembled in the UK.
	
		
			 Year of order Number of vehicles 
		
		
			 Bombardier  
			 1996 12 
			 1997 338 
			 1998 595 
			 1999 33 
			 2000 121 
			 2001 257 
			 2002 876 
			 2003 42 
			 2004  
			   
			 Alstom  
			 1997 120 
			 1998 294 
			 1999 507 
		
	
	There are currently no orders placed with these companies for the period 2005 to 2010. However there will be a competitive procurement process for the replacement of high speed trains in due course.

Rolling Stock

Gwyneth Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) new and (b) old train sets were procured for the United Kingdom in each year between 1994 and 2004, broken down by nationality of provider; and what the estimated numbers are in each year between 2005 and 2010.

Derek Twigg: The following table sets out the number of new vehicles ordered since rail privatisation, up until 2005. We do not have information for 1994 or 1995.
	
		Manufacturer nationality and order by vehicles each year
		
			  Bombardier (Canadian)UK site Siemens (German) Alstom (French) CAF/Siemens (Spanish/German) Hitachi (Japanese) 
		
		
			 1996 12 
			 1997 338  120   
			 1998 595  294 48  
			 1999 33  507   
			 2000 121   8  
			 2001 257 869
			 2002 1,003   8  
			 2003 42 153
			 2004  
			 2005 168 
		
	
	There will be a replacement of high speed train's in due course, for which there will be a competitive procurement process.

Rolling Stock

Gwyneth Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the rolling stock manufacturers in the United Kingdom in each year between 1994 and 2004; and what the (a) location of production facilities, (b) number of orders and (c) number of employees was for each manufacturer for each year.

Derek Twigg: We do not have information for 1994 or 1995. The following table provides the information requested from 1996.
	
		Number of orders by manufacturer and location of build
		
			  Bombardier (Canadian)(3) Siemens (German)(4) Alstom (French)(5) CAF/Siemens (Spanish/German)(6) 
		
		
			 1996 1
			 1997 3  1  
			 1998 10  4 1 
			 1999 3  2  
			 2000 2   1 
			 2001 3 2   
			 2002 5   1 
			 2003 1 1   
			 2004 
		
	
	(3) Bombardier vehicles built or assembled in the UK (Derby) with the exception of 127 Meridians built in Brugge.
	(4) Siemens vehicles are all being built in Germany/Austria site.
	(5) Alstom build all their vehicles at Washwood Heath, Birmingham.
	(6) These vehicles were built in Spain.
	The number of staff employed by each manufacturer is a matter for those companies and is not recorded by the Department.

South-West Regional Planning Assessment

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects the South West Regional Planning Assessment to start; and which organisations will be consulted.

Derek Twigg: No decision has yet been made about when the consultation for the South West Regional Planning Assessment (RPA) will begin. As with all RPAs, it will be developed through extensive discussion and consultation with regional and local bodies. These include the county councils, unitary authorities and regional planning bodies.

Speed Cameras

Gwyneth Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the regression to the mean effect on the statistics relating to the number of accidents on roads with speed cameras.

Stephen Ladyman: Independent academics are looking at regression to the mean as part of the fourth year evaluation report on the National Safety Camera Programme. Their report is in preparation and is expected to be completed shortly.

Speed Cameras

Gwyneth Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much and what percentage of spending by safety camera partnerships was on camera operations and related road traffic injury prevention in each year between 1994 and 2004.

Stephen Ladyman: All expenditure reclaimed by safety camera partnerships has to be directly related to speed and red light camera enforcement. The following table shows the fine receipts and partnership expenditure in England and Wales since the inception of the safety camera programme in 2000.
	
		
			  Number of partnerships Total fines Expenditure Expenditure as percentage of fines received 
		
		
			 200001 7 9,871,920 8,611,793 87.2 
			 200102 14 18,799,820 15,386,939 81.8 
			 200203 28 73,876,260 57,620,133 78.0 
			 200304 35 113,567,780 91,877,359 80.9 
		
	
	Figures for 200405 will be published on the Department's website in due course.

Speeding (Carbon Emissions)

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State forTransport how much extra carbon dioxide in tonnes per annum he estimates arose from the driving of roadvehicles in excess of 70 mph in each of the last five years.

Stephen Ladyman: If no vehicles exceeded the speed limits on motorways and dual carriageways we have estimated that savings in the region of 0.5 million tonnes of carbon per annum could theoretically occur. In practice, however, it would be virtually impossible to enforce blanket compliance with the 70 mph speed limit, and the Government have no intention of introducing such a policy.

Stratford Stations

Gwyneth Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what arrangements will be made for passengers with disabilities to be able to move between Stratford Regional Station and Stratford International Station.

Derek Twigg: Stratford International Station is being built with step free access from platform to street level.
	As part of the Olympic development, to be delivered by 2012, Stratford Regional Station will also provide step free access from platform to street level.
	Subject to the approval of applications which are currently before the Secretary of State, it is proposed that from 2010 the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) will provide direct access between Stratford International and Regional Stations. Access from DLR trains to platforms will be step free.

Rail Services

Si�n James: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of punctuality of services on First Great Western services from Paddington to Swansea since January.

Derek Twigg: In the year to 30 June 2005, the public performance measure for First Great Western passenger train services as a whole was 77.8 per cent. The Department for Transport does not keep separate records on the punctuality of trains running from Paddington to Swansea. Joint action plans are in place between Network Rail and First Great Western to address performance trends and these are monitored monthly.

Traffic Growth (West Sussex)

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his projections are for traffic growth in West Sussex over each of the next 10 years.

Stephen Ladyman: Estimates of future traffic growth in West Sussex are as follows:
	
		
			  Percentage 
		
		
			 200510 8 to 11.5 
			 200515 15.5 to 23 
		
	
	These figures are based on the National Road Traffic Forecasts (GB) 1997, with an adjustment to allow for West Sussex having higher-than-average projected rates of population and employment growth.

Train Operating Companies

Gwyneth Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the total amount of penalties awarded against each train operating company for poor performances by the (a) Office of Passenger Rail Franchising and (b) Strategic Rail Authority was in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: The franchising authority pays performance bonuses to train operators for exceeding performance targets. If performance is poor, operators pay a performance penalty. Payments of both types are made at four weekly intervals and, in the course of a year, a particular operator may both pay performance penalties and receive performance bonuses. The following table lists cases where payments by an operator during the financial year concerned exceeded the payments it received from the franchising authority. All operators have similar agreements except those indicated in the table as not having one.
	
		000
		
			 Operator 199798 199899 19992000 200001 200102 200203 200304 200405 
		
		
			 Anglia (7) (7) (7) 221 329 3,160 (8) (8) 
			 Cardif Railways (7) 1,423 59 73 (7) (8) (8) (8) 
			 Central Trains (7) 1,651 384 8,804 9,633 10,910 6,838 11,348 
			 Chiltern 117 276 115 467 484 846 397 189 
			 South Central (7) (7) 1,020 9,248 5,978 6,342 12,828 12,118 
			 South Eastern 974 1,629 2,040 11,229 5,746 6,897 2,895 (8) 
			 SET (8) (8) (8) (8) (8) (8) 2,998 2,501 
			 Cross Country (9) (9) (9) (9) (9) (9) 2 (9) 
			 Gatwick Exp (9) (9) (9) (9) (9) (9) (9) (9) 
			 Great Eastern 122 (7) (7) 7,744 5,579 1,525 (8) (8) 
			 GNER (9) (9) (9) (9) (9) (9) 2,902 2,447 
			 Great Western (9) 2,452 2,175 1,978 5,408 2,610 2,020 1,058 
			 Island Line 24 14 20 41 9 12 17 25 
			 LTS/c2c (7) (7) (7) 477 2,540 430 (7) (7) 
			 Merseyrail (7) 114 346 796 641 (7) (8) (8) 
			 MML (9) (9) 18 15 (7) (9) (9) (9) 
			 North Western (7) (7) (7) 2,256 3,455 2,536 1,448 540 
			 Northern Spirit (7) (7) (7) 8,337 7,611 3,729 1,111 741 
			 Northern (8) (8) (8) (8) (8) (8) (8) (9) 
			 Scotrail (7) (7) (7) 5,284 9,999 8,654 2,820 2,268 
			 First Scotrail (8) (8) (8) (8) (8) (8) (8) 178 
			 Silverlink (7) 199 254 2,879 2,854 447 90 (7) 
			 SWT 1,281 3,933 3,657 10,648 12,776 11,471 10,186 (7) 
			 Thames/FGWL 572 2,224 2,046 4,291 4,069 4,173 3,990 4,700 
			 Thameslink 49 270 668 4,337 3,325 2,904 2,844 6,473 
			 Trans Pennine (8) (8) (8) (8) (8) (8) 50 2,817 
			 Wales and West (7) 378 (7) 4,497 1,577 (8) (8) (8) 
			 WAGN 346 452 849 8,833 8,359 6,380 2,782 1,767 
			 West Coast (9) (9) 67 15 12 88 476 80 
			 WB/ATW (8) (8) (8) (8) 1,329 2,425 (7) (7) 
			 Wessex (8) (8) (8) (8) 1,115 3,354 2,094 1,398 
		
	
	(7) Indicates that the operator received a net performance bonus.
	(8) Indicates that the franchise did not exist in the year concerned.
	(9) Indicates operators who were not subject during the year in question to a performance penalty regime
	Note:
	All figures are in 000 and are total net payments for poor performance.

Northern Rail Services Review

Linda Riordan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the consultation with stakeholders on the Review of Northern Rail Services will commence.

Derek Twigg: No date has yet been fixed for consultation with stakeholders on this review.

Public Service Agreements

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how the performance data for 2004 public service agreement no. 2 will be published after the Strategic Rail Authority is wound up.

Derek Twigg: From April 2005, the Office of Rail Regulation took over the publication of National Rail Trends. This document contains the data used to measure the achievement of public service agreement target no. 2.

Victims of Violence

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many victims of violence were recorded by the British Transport police in each year since 199899, (a) in total and (b) broken down by region.

Derek Twigg: The number of victims of violence recorded by the British Transport police (BTP) in each year since 199899 is given in the following table.
	
		
			 BTP Area 199899 19992000 200001 200102 200203 200304 200405 
		
		
			 London North 659 742 809 920 1,126 1,334 1,632 
			 London South 1,849 2,160 2,107 1,837 2,265 2,350 2,509 
			 London Underground 1,456 1,575 1,471 1,424 1,880 2,295 2,622 
			 North Eastern 243 204 285 306 495 605 625 
			 Scottish 345 396 348 406 545 631 617 
			 North Western 466 551 526 604 654 787 786 
			 Western 388 461 497 594 691 725 957 
			 
			 Force Total 5,406 6,089 6,043 6,091 7,656 8,727 9,748 
		
	
	The Home Office introduced a National Crime Recording Standard (NCRS) that all police forces across England and Wales were required to adopt. BTP adopted this standard on 1 April 2002. The impact of the new recording standard saw an increase in recorded crime nationally.
	BTP have also been proactive in encouraging victims of assaults, whether a passenger or a member of rail staff, to report these offences. This includes the creation of dedicated staff assault teams within the BTP areas.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Andrew Cunningham

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what responsibilities Mr. Andrew Cunningham has held in her Department and its predecessors since 1997.

David Lammy: Mr. Andrew Cunningham was not employed by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport or its predecessors before June 2001 when he and his policy responsibilities were transferred to the Department from the Home Office as part of the Machinery of Government Changes. At that time, Mr. Cunningham was made Head of the Licensing Policy Team with responsibility for advising Ministers on all policy matters relating to the reform of the alcohol, entertainment and late night refreshment licensing laws, including preparation of the Licensing Bill. His current responsibility is to lead the teams charged with implementing the Licensing Act 2003.

Correspondence

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she will reply to the letter of 12 September from the hon. Member for Aylesbury which her Department acknowledged on 16 September (reference CMS 22830/DC) about the Department's guidance on the Licensing Act 2003.

James Purnell: I wrote to the hon. Member for Aylesbury on 21 November 2005.

Criminal Offences

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will list criminal offences created in legislation sponsored by her Department since May 1997, broken down by Act.

David Lammy: holding answer 9 November 2005
	The following is a list of criminal offences created in legislation sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport since May 1997, broken down by Act:
	Communications Act 2003
	Offences were created by the following provisions of the Communications Act 2003:
	s.43(1); s.103(1) and (2); s.125(1); s.126(1) and (2); s.127(1) and (2); s.133(1); s.143(1) and (2); s.144(1) and (3); s.171(5); s.363(2) and (3); s.393(10); schedule 11 paragraphs 13(8), (9) and (10).
	Licensing Act 2003
	Offences were created by the following provisions of the Licensing Act 2003:
	s.33(6); s.40(2); s.41(5); s.46(4); s.49(5); s.56(3); s.57(4) and (7); s.59(5); s.82(6); s.83(6); s.93(3); s.94(5), (6) and (9); s.96(5); s.108(3); s.109(4) and (8); s.123(2); s.127(4); s.128(6); s.132(4); s.134(5); s.135(4); 5.136(1): 5.137(1); s138(1); 5.140(1); s.141(1); 5.142(1); s.143(1); s.144(1); s. 145(1); 5.146(1), (2) and (3); s.147(1) and (3); s. 148(1) and (2); s. 149(1), (3) and (4); s. 150(1) and (2); s.151(1), (2) and (4); s.152(1); s.153(1); s.156(1); s.157(5); s.158(1); s.160(4); s.161(6); s.165(7); s.168(8); s.179(4); schedule 8 paragraph 10(1); schedule 8 paragraph 22(1).
	Dealing in Cultural Objects (Offences) Act 2003
	An offence was created by s.1(1) of the Dealing in Cultural Objects (Offences) Act 2003.
	Horserace Betting and Olympic Lottery Act 2004
	Offences were created by the following provisions of the Horserace Betting and Olympic Lottery Act 2004:
	s. 9(5); s.10(1); schedule 1 paragraphs 19, 20, 21, and 23.
	Gambling Act 2005
	Offences are created by the following provisions of the Gambling Act 2005:
	s.33(1); s.37(1); s.41(1); s.42(1); s.43 (1); s.44(1); s.46(1); s.47(1), (4), (5), (6) and (7); s.48(1); s.49; s.50(1); s.51(1); s.52; s.53; s.54(l) and (2); s.55(1) and (4); s.56(1); s.57(1); s.58; 5.59(1); s.101(6); 5.105(3); 5.108(2); s.109(4); 5.122(5); 5.134(2); s.138(3); 5.139(2); 5.185(2); s.186(6); s.229(2); s.242(1) and (2); s.243(1) and (2); s.244(1); s.245(1); s.258(1); s.259(1); s.260(2); 5.261(2); s.262; 5.275(7); 5.281(7); s.301(2); s.316(5); 5.326(1); s.328(5); 5.330(1); s.331(1); s.337(5); s.342(1); s.345(5); schedule 10 paragraph 20; schedule 12 paragraphs 13(1) and 15(6); schedule 13 paragraph 10(1); schedule 14 paragraph 20.
	Members should consult the texts of the Acts for full details of the offences.

Fixed Odds Betting Terminals

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what research the Government have undertaken into the impact on public welfare of increasing the number of fixed odds betting terminals.

Richard Caborn: The Government have not directly commissioned research into fixed odds betting terminals (FOBTs). An independent report, funded by the Association of British Bookmakers, by European Economics and MORI was published in April 2005 and subjected to DCMS commissioned peer review. It found no evidence to suggest FOBTs led to an increase in problem gambling. A second study is due to be published by the end of the year and will again be subjected to the same level of scrutiny. The Gambling Commission will undertake prevalence studies into gambling every three years which will enable the Government to scrutinise trends in British gambling habits. The first of these will be published in 2007.

Football World Cup

Fraser Kemp: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether the consideration by her Department of the possibility of England bidding to host the 2018 World Cup will include an assessment of suitable venues in Sunderland city council area.

Richard Caborn: My right hon. Friends, the Chancellor of the Exchequer and Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport announced a feasibility study to assess whether England should bid to host the FIFA World Cup in 2018 in England on 19 November 2005.
	Officials from HM Treasury and DCMS will be discussing the precise scope of the study with the Football Association. They will undertake the study and report back next year.

Public Service Agreements

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what baseline percentages she is using for the purposes of measuring performance against 2004 public service agreement target 3.

David Lammy: The public service agreement target 3 will be measured using the Taking Part Survey. The baseline percentages for measuring performance against the target will be data collected from interviews conducted between July 2005 and July 2006.
	Indicative baselines will be published quarterly, with the first of these released in December 2005. However, due to the use of interim weighting and the effects of seasonality the final baseline percentages will not be set until the full year of data are available. The final baselines will be released in late 2006.

Swimming

Julian Brazier: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate she has made of the (a) number of children taught to swim in each of the last 10 years and (b) proportion of teenagers who can swim.

Richard Caborn: Figures on the number of children taught, or able, to swim are not collected centrally.
	Swimming and water safety are a compulsory part of the national curriculum for physical education. By the end of key stage 2, pupils should be taught to swim unaided for a sustained period of time over a distance of at least 25 metres.
	In 2000, an Ofsted report on swimming in schools at key stage 2 found that 83 per cent. of pupils could swim the 25 metre standard.

DEFENCE

Afghanistan

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment the security forces have made of who carried out the recent bombings in Kabul; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: Investigations into who carried out the recent attacks involving ISAF troops in Kabul are ongoing.

Afghanistan

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many provisional reconstruction teams the UK is leading in Afghanistan; where they are based; and what other help the UK is extending through its military commitments to provisional reconstruction teams.

Adam Ingram: The United Kingdom leads the provincial reconstruction team in Mazar-e Sharif in North West Afghanistan. In addition, the United Kingdom leads the Forward Support Base and the Quick Reaction Force, both also based in Mazar-e Sharif, that support all the international security assistance force's provincial reconstruction teams across Northern Afghanistan.

Apache AH-64

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the naval application of the Apache AH-64; and whether funds have been set aside for maritimisation.

Adam Ingram: In line with the future maritime operating concept, the Apache AH Mkl is required to operate in support of amphibious forces during ship to shore operations. Extensive ship-borne trials have taken place on HMS Ocean and RFA Argus during which flying and deck operating limits were determined, and maritime modifications, including enhanced corrosion protection, were assessed. These trials have shown that Apache can be operated safely and effectively from these platforms. A declaration of maritime initial operating capability is expected at the end of December 2005. Funding for further trials has been set aside in the equipment plan. However, the benefit of full conversion of the entire Apache fleet is currently being assessed.

AWE Aldermaston

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 3 November 2005, Official Report, column 1259W, on AWE Aldermaston, when he was first informed that the original estimate was inadequate.

John Reid: I became aware of the need for additional investment at AWE Aldermaston shortly after my appointment as Secretary of State for Defence. As far as the Ministry of Defence is concerned, when the initial AWE management and operation contract (which became effective on 1 April 2000) was awarded to AWE Management Ltd., it was recognised that a detailed analysis would be required to establish the levels of investment necessary to sustain the minimum capability required to support the policies described in the 1998 Strategic Defence Review. This process, which included conducting studies, investment appraisals, capability assessments, contract negotiations and a process of departmental and ministerial approvals, was completed in July 2005.

AWE Aldermaston

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 3 November 2005, Official Report, column 1259W, on AWE Aldermaston, how much of the 1 billion will be spent on (a) increased costs for the continuous running project, (b) new facilities at Aldermaston, with particular reference to the proposed new laser and (c) other areas of expenditure; and if he will make a statement.

John Reid: As I made clear in my written statement to the House on 19 July 2005, Official Report, column 59WS, the purpose of this additional expenditure at the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) is to maintain the effectiveness and safety of the nuclear deterrent through an additional investment in key skills and facilities. Of the total forecast expenditure at AWE between now and the end of 200708, around 45 per cent. is capital costs, principally on new facilities including the new Orion laser, and around 55 per cent. is operating costs.

Iraq (US Casualties)

Andrew Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many casualties United States forces have suffered since 1 January 2005 in the proposed Tactical Area of Responsibility that British forces will take over next year.

Adam Ingram: As I made clear in my written statement on 14 November 2005, Official Report, columns 4142WS, no final decisions have yet been made on the area of responsibility that British forces could take over next year.

Overseas Recruitment

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what expenditure has been incurred in relation to overseas recruitment for the armed services in each of the last five years.

Don Touhig: holding answer 17 November 2005
	Employment in the Regular armed forces is open to citizens of Commonwealth countries and Republic of Ireland nationals as well as British citizens; all applicants are given equal consideration and all have to meet the same basic entry standards. The armed forces do not actively recruit overseas with the exception of Gurkhas from Nepal. However, in recent years the Royal Navy and the Army have sent selection teams to some Commonwealth countries at the specific request of the Government concerned, and only then when evidence suggests that there is sufficient interest among the local population to merit a visit. The selection teams screen out those who are not thought capable of meeting the full entry standards, to save them the cost of an abortive trip to the UK to undergo the recruitment process. The costs incurred as a result of the selection team visits were as follows:
	
		
			 Financial year  
		
		
			 200102 47,500 
			 200203 147,600 
			 200304 127,700 
			 200405 125,100 
			 200506 52,900 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Figures are rounded to nearest 100.
	2. FY200506 details show the position at the mid-year point.
	Gurkha recruitment policy is completely different to that for the Regular armed forces. The travel costs incurred as a result of a selection team from the UK visiting Nepal during the final selection process to assist the in-country recruiting team in its final selection of approximately 230 Nepalese to join the Brigade of Gurkhas each year and approximately 150 to join the Singapore Police (for which we get compensation) were as follows:
	
		
			 Financial year  
		
		
			 200102 27,800 
			 200203 32,900 
			 200304 33,000 
			 200405 33,000 
			 200506 40,000 
		
	
	Note:
	Figures are rounded to nearest 100.

RAF Bases

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what savings were achieved by transferring maintenance work for (a) Harriers and (b) Tornados to RAF main operating bases; and where this money will be reinvested.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 21 November 2005
	Changes have been made in the way RAF Harrier aircraft are supported. Primarily these changes relate to the concentration of aircraft maintenance, including Harrier GR7 to GR9 upgrade, at RAF Cottesmore, and the introduction of more effective and efficient processes. Together these will deliver savings of 44 million over financial years 200506 to 200809. Similar changes in the way RAF Tornado GR4 aircraft are maintained and upgraded are in the process of being implemented at RAF Marham. This will significantly streamline the overall logistics footprint for the Tornado GR4 fleet which in turn will contribute to the 2 billion of efficiency savings to be delivered as part of the MOD's logistic transformation programme.
	All cash savings are re-allocated within the Defence Programme in accordance with Defence priorities.

Royal Green Jackets

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the future of the Royal Green Jackets Regiment.

Adam Ingram: I refer the hon. Member to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence's written ministerial statement on 24 November 2005, Official Report, columns 12933WS, which states that the Royal Green Jackets will form the 2nd and 4th battalions of the Rifles. The Rifles will form in 2007.
	The Rifles will be established from the two battalions of the Royal Green Jackets, the two battalions of the Light Infantry, the Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Light Infantry and the Devonshire and Dorset Light Infantry. All six battalions have elected to merge within the Rifles, following extensive consultation within the regiments and the division, to produce a regiment which embodies the best traditions of the Light Division. The five battalions within the Rifles will be capable of covering every future operational role envisaged and will be able to provide a variety of roles and locations for its serving soldiers.

Shropshire Light Infantry

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will reverse his decision to change the name of the Shropshire Light Infantry to the Rifles.

John Reid: The new title of the Rifles is the result of extensive consultation within the Light Division and the regiments concerned to find a fitting title to embody their heritage and traditions. The title was adopted with the full agreement of the representatives of the Light Infantry, the Royal Green Jackets, the Devonshire and Dorset Light Infantry and the Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Light Infantry and I have no plans to change it.

Vanguard Submarines

Peter Kilfoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on his plans to modify Vanguard class submarines.

John Reid: Since commissioning, a number of modifications to the Vanguard class submarine platforms have been planned, some of which have already been implemented. These include an upgrade to the nuclear reactor core as well as obsolescence management programmes, such as a technology demonstrator programme to update Sonar 2054, and replacement of elements of the radio system. As with any other platform, we routinely assess obsolescence issues that may occur throughout platform life.

ELECTORAL COMMISSION COMMITTEE

Public Relations

Fraser Kemp: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission how much the Electoral Commission has spent on public relations companies and consultants in each of the last five years.

Peter Viggers: The Commission informs me that its expenditure on public relations companies and consultants, to support its public awareness work under section 13 of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000, in each of the years concerned is as set out in the following table:
	
		
			  Expenditure () 
		
		
			 200102 76,775 
			 200203 272,131 
			 200304 267,598 
			 200405 332,891 
			 200506 (10)307,120 
			 (10) Estimated.

SCOTLAND

Bank Notes

John Thurso: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with (a) the Chancellor of the Exchequer and (b) the Scottish Executive on issuing of bank notes in Scotland; and if he will make a statement.

David Cairns: My right hon. Friend has regular discussions on a range of issues with both the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Scottish Executive. During the Treasury's consultation on their document Banknote issue arrangements in Scotland and Northern Ireland the Scotland Office facilitated a forum between Treasury officials, the Bank of England, Scottish issuing banks and representative organisations. The consultation period has now concluded and it is for the Treasury to consider the responses.

Consultants/Special Advisers

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list departmental projects conducted by consultants in each year since 2000; what the cost was in each case; and what the total cost of employing consultants was in each year.

David Cairns: The cost of projects conducted by consultants in each year since 200001 are listed as follows:
	
		
			  Description Cost () 
		
		
			 200001 A comparison study on motor taxation across Europe 5,465 
			  Total 5,465 
			
			 200102 Professional services in relation to a proposed Scotland to Northern Ireland Ferry Service 17,864 
			  Total 17,864 
			
			 200203 Professional services in relation to a proposed Scotland to Northern Ireland Ferry Service 4,620 
			  Report on Devolution in Europe 6,100 
			  Total 10,720 
			
			 200304 Senior Civil Service Assessment Centre 10,044 
			  Total 10,044 
			
			 200405 Management Review and Assessment Centre for Head of Scotland Office 2,817 
			  Total 2,817

Consultants/Special Advisers

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many (a) consultants and (b) special advisers were employed by his Department in each year since 1997; what the cost of each was in each year; and if he will make a statement.

David Cairns: The Scotland Office was established on 1 July 1999. The number and spend on consultants since then has been:
	
		
			  Number  
		
		
			 19992000 0 0 
			 200001 1 5,465 
			 200102 1 17,864 
			 200203 2 10,720 
			 200304 1 10,044 
			 200405 1 2,817 
		
	
	Since 2003, the Government have published, on an annual basis, the names and overall cost of special advisers and the number in each pay band. For the most recent information, I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 21 July 2005, Official Report, columns 158162WS. Information on the numbers of special advisers prior to 2003 was provided at regular intervals and this information is available in the Library of the House.

TREASURY

Bank Notes

John Thurso: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  whether the launch of the consultation on the banknote issue arrangements in Scotland and Northern Ireland conformed with Cabinet Office regulations on consultation procedure;
	(2)  how many responses he has received to the consultation on banknote issue arrangements in Scotland and Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  if he will list the representations received on the issuing arrangements of banknotes in Scotland and Northern Ireland prior to the launch of the banknote issue arrangements in Scotland and Northern Ireland consultation document from (a) note issuing banks,(b) non-note issuing banks, and (c) other third parties.

Ivan Lewis: The launch of the consultation was consistent with the Cabinet Office's Code of Practice on Consultation. The consultation exercise was initially set for eight weeks because the proposals were technical in nature and of interest to a limited number of stakeholders. In response to requests from stakeholders I agreed to extend the consultation period by four weeks. In addition to the written consultation, several face-to-face meetings took place between my officials and stakeholders.
	The Treasury received 34 responses to the consultation and we will publish a summary of all responses and our response to the consultation in due course. At present, I have no plans to make a statement but will consider doing so when it comes to publishing our response to the consultation.
	The Treasury has had frequent informal discussions with various Government Departments and the Bank of England on the subject of the banknote issue arrangements in Scotland and Northern Ireland but received no representations on this subject from any commercial note issuing bank or private sector third parties, prior to the launch of the consultation in July of this year.

Breast Cancer

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many women (a) were diagnosed with and (b) died from breast cancer in each of the last five years.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Karen Dunnell to Lynne Featherstone, dated 29 November 2005
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning how many women (a) were diagnosed with and (b) died from breast cancer in each of the last five years. (31380)
	The latest available figures for the incidence of breast cancer are for the year 2003. The numbers of newly diagnosed cases for the years 1999 to 2003. and the numbers of deaths occurring in these years, are given in the attached table.
	
		Number of newly diagnosed cases of, and deaths from, breast cancer(10) in females in England, 19992003(11)
		
			 Year of diagnosis/death Number of cases Number of deaths 
		
		
			 1999 34,176 10,856 
			 2000 33,829 10,609 
			 2001(12) 34,347 10,846 
			 2002(12) 34,319 10,789 
			 2003(12) 36,509 10,489 
		
	
	(10) Breast cancer is defined as code 174 in the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) and as code C50 in the International Classification of Diseases. Tenth Revision (ICD-10). Newly diagnosed cases were defined using ICD-10; deaths were defined using ICD9 from 1999 to 2000, and ICD-10 from 2001 onwards.
	(11) Figures for the number of deaths are based on deaths occurring in each calendar year.
	(12) The introduction of ICD-10 for coding cause of death in 2001 means that data for breast cancer are not completely comparable with data for years before this date. The data should therefore be interpreted with caution. The effect of the change in classification in 2001 on deaths from cancer by site is described in an article published in August 2004.*
	* Brock A, Griffiths C, Rooney C (2004) 'The effect of the introduction of ICD-10 on cancer mortality trends in England and Wales'. Health Statistics Quarterly 23, 717.
	Source:
	Office for National Statistics.

Capital Gains Tax

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the capital gains tax treatment is for shared ownership schemes in non-charitable housing associations; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: A non-charitable housing association will be within the charge to corporation tax and is liable to pay tax on chargeable gains, including those arising under shared ownership arrangements. The amount of such gains may be reduced by various forms of relief that are available to companies, including the ability to deduct capital losses.

Consultants

Martin Horwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what steps his Department takes to ensure that consultancies do not claim excessive expenses while working for the Department and its agencies;
	(2)  what mechanisms are in place to assess the effectiveness of consultant-led projects in his Department; what sanctions are available to penalise consultants who ran unsuccessful projects; how many projects conducted by consultants were assessed as unsuccessful in each year since 2000; and what sanctions were imposed in each case.

John Healey: The Treasury assesses the effectiveness of high and medium risk projects via Gateway reviews, managed by the OGC. Low risk projects are assessed via a project appraisal completed by the relevant business manager.
	The Treasury ensures there are strongly worded clauses in all consultancy contracts and assignment orders, which are agreed and signed by the supplier before undertaking the engagement. This enables the Department to take action against any defaults in performance, quality issues or other failures of the supplier to perform the agreed service in a timely and appropriate manner.
	The remedies can cover anything from re-execution of the services at the expense of the supplier, reduction in the payment in respect of any service that the supplier has failed to provide or has provided inadequately, up toand including termination of the contract. The Treasury also ensures that there is a clause referring to an Alternative Dispute Resolution procedure as recommended by the Centre for Dispute Resolution.
	Since 2000 no consultant-led project has been deemed unsuccessful.
	All contracts let for consultancy support by the Treasury clearly specify to the supplier that any travel expenses to and from the assignment location will be met from the day rate. Expenses may be payable where travel to other sites is required as part of the assignment, but only with prior approval and within the current maximum limits agreed for civil servants. Any other expenses are only payable solely at the discretion, and with the prior approval, of the relevant Treasury project manager.

Credit Overpayments

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will write off all the credit overpayments caused by official error following the recent decision of Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs to write off all overpayments to claimants who are subject to immigration control; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: These payments were made because of an error on the part of HMRC. They were not overpayments. Errors, where the claimant could have reasonably expected not to know, are written off.

Departmental Relocation

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many staff in his Department have been relocated into London and the South East in each of the last five years for which records are available.

Des Browne: No staff in the Department or related agencies have been relocated into London or the South East in the last five years.

Departmental Relocation

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to relocate staff in his Department and related agencies into London and the South East.

Des Browne: There are no plans to relocate staff in the Department or related agencies in to London or the South East.

Departmental Websites

Charles Hendry: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to ensure the Department's websites attain the W3C AAA standard of accessibility for people with visual and other disabilities; and if he will set a target date for this standard to be achieved by.

John Healey: Guidelines for Government websites produced by the Cabinet Office state that Government websites should comply with Single-A level of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0; The Treasury's Public website has been designed to comply with Double-A level of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0.
	Nevertheless, a number of Triple-A requirements are met by the Treasury website, including; the use of access-keys, contrast between foreground and background colours, consistent style of presentation across all website pages and our search facility enables different types of searches.

Disability Discrimination Act

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the cost would be of applying the definition of disability in the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 to the tax regime for trusts with a vulnerable beneficiary as defined by section 38(1) of part 2, Chapter 4 of the Finance Act 2005.

Dawn Primarolo: We are unable to quantify this cost. The Government recognised that the increase in the rate applicable to trusts and the dividend trust rate from 6 April 2004 could have an impact on trusts with vulnerable beneficiaries, especially those set up for disabled and minor children who have suffered the death of a parent. We therefore introduced the special tax regime for such trusts in Finance Act 2005.
	We consulted widely before introducing the regime and, in consultation, including with groups representing the disabled, the consensus was to use the existing, generous definition from within the Taxes Acts that already works well within the tax system and relies on qualification for Department for Work and Pensions benefits.

Financial Instruments Directive

David Gauke: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the (a) costs and (b) benefits of the implementation of the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive.

Ivan Lewis: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer provided by the Financial Secretary, on 22 November 2005, Official Report, column 190506W to the hon. Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove) and the hon. Member for Chipping Barnet (Mrs. Villiers).

Financial Instruments Directive

David Gauke: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received from the Financial Services Authority on the implications of the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive.

Ivan Lewis: The Treasury and Financial Services Authority, have worked closely together on the negotiation of the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID), and are doing so on its implementation. On 21 November the FSA published 'Planning for MiFID' (available at www.fsa.aov.uk/pubs/international/planninq_mifid.pdf) which highlights some of the key areas of UK regulation that will be affected by the directive.

HM Revenue and Customs

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the national performance targets were for HM Revenue and Customs centres in 200405; and what the performance of the branches in (a) Torquay, (b) Paignton and (c) Brixham were against those targets in 200405.

Dawn Primarolo: The HMRC target is that 95 per cent. of customers calling at their Inquiry Centres without an appointment will be seen within 30 minutes. The results for the period 1 April to 18 November, this year, are: Paignton 97.02 per cent. and Torquay 95.05 per cent. There is no HMRC Inquiry Centre at Brixham.

IR35

Norman Lamb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people have been investigated by HM Customs and Revenue to determine whether IR35 applies to them in each of the last five years; how many of these were found to fall within IR35; what the (a) total cost and (b) average duration of such investigations was in each year; and what estimate he has made of the additional tax revenue raised as a result of those investigations in each year.

Dawn Primarolo: HMRC does not routinely collect data in respect of specific types of employer obligations from the PAYE system. It is therefore not possible to isolate how many investigations have solely related to the intermediaries legislation.

Manual Payments

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many manual payments were issued in each month since April 2003; and what their value was in each month.

Dawn Primarolo: For the estimated number of manual payments between April 2004 and February 2005, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the right hon. Member for Birkenhead (Mr. Field) on 22 March 2005, Official Report, column 711W. The estimated number of manual payments in each month from April 2003 to March 2004, and for March 2005 to October 2005, and the estimated value of manual payments between April 2003 and October 2005 are:
	
		
			  000 000 
			   Number of payments Estimated value of manual payments made 
		
		
			 2003   
			 April Less than 5 1,200 
			 May 135 111,400 
			 June 130 83,900 
			 July 10 6,400 
			 August 25 15,300 
			 September 15 10,000 
			 October 10 6,500 
			 November 10 7,000 
			 December 20 10,600 
			
			 2004   
			 January 25 13,100 
			 February 30 18,100 
			 March 20 12,000 
		
	
	
		000
		
			  Estimated value of manual payments made 
		
		
			 2004  
			 April 18,100 
			 May 11,200 
			 June 8,900 
			 July 11,200 
			 August 10,100 
			 September 19,600 
			 October 16,400 
			 November 13,900 
			 December 14,600 
			   
			 2005  
			 January 16,000 
			 February 17,700 
		
	
	
		
			  000 000 
			   Number of payments Estimated value of manual payments made 
		
		
			 2005   
			 March 40 20,000 
			 April 50 23,400 
			 May 45 19,900 
			 June 40 17,500 
			 July 40 18,700 
			 August 45 22,800 
			 September 45 25,000 
			 October 30 15,000 
		
	
	The allocation of payments to precise payment dates requires a degree of estimation and are therefore rounded to the nearest 5,000. The value of manual payments made also requires a degree of estimation and are therefore rounded to the nearest 100,000.

Money Laundering Directives

John Redwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which EU countries have not transposed the Money Laundering Directive into their national law.

Ivan Lewis: According to the EU Commission two EU Countries, France and Greece, have not transposed the Second Money Laundering Directive (2001/97/EC) into their national law. The EU Commission has started infringement proceedings against these countries. The Third EU Money Laundering Directive has recently been adopted and will need to be implemented into national law by the end of 2007.

National Minimum Wage

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many companies in Tamworth have been (a) fined and (b) forced to cease trading for non-compliance with the national minimum wage since it was introduced.

Dawn Primarolo: The information requested is not available.

National Minimum Wage

John Cummings: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many businesses were found to be employing workers for less than the minimum wage in Easington constituency in each year since the minimum wage was introduced; how many were fined; and how many employees were involved in each case.

Dawn Primarolo: The information requested is not available.

Official Travel Costs

Peter Luff: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his answer of 17 November 2005, Official Report, column 1519W, whether the sum quoted includes the cost of the travel of the two Treasury officials.

John Healey: The sum quoted is for the Chancellor's travel.

Parliamentary Questions

Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects to answer Questions 26261 and 26263 tabled on 3 November 2005 by the hon. Member for Birkenhead.

Dawn Primarolo: I have done so.

Parliamentary Questions

Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects to answer Question 22005 tabled on 24 October 2005 by the hon. Member for Birkenhead.

Dawn Primarolo: I have done so.

Planning Gain Supplement

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the Government expects to publish further details of its plans for a (a) planning gain supplement and (b) land development tax.

John Healey: As set out in the March 2005 Economic and Fiscal Strategy Report, the Government will respond to the recommendations in the Barker Review of Housing Supply later this year.

Pneumococcal Meningitis

Susan Kramer: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many (a) children and (b) adults died of pneumococcal meningitis in the UK in each of the last 10 years.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Colin Mowl to Susan Kramer, dated 29 November 2005
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent question concerning how many (a) children and (b) adults died of pneumococcal meningitis in the United Kingdom in each of the last 10 years. I am replying in her absence. (31461)
	The most recently available information is for deaths in 2004. Figures for deaths where pneumococcal meningitis was mentioned as either the underlying cause of death or as a contributory factor to the death, in children aged 0 to 15 and adults aged 16 and over are shown in the table below for each year from 1995 to 2004.
	
		Number of deaths where pneumococcal meningitis(13) was mentioned in (a) children aged under 16 and (b) adults aged 16 and over, United Kingdom. 1995 to 2004(14)
		
			  (a) children (b) adults 
		
		
			 1995 8 75 
			 1996 17 103 
			 1997 13 87 
			 1998 20 61 
			 1999 12 63 
			 2000 15 59 
			 2001 18 60 
			 2002 13 54 
			 2003 22 68 
			 2004 15 47 
		
	
	(13) Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (JCD-9) code 320.1 for the years 1995 to 2000 for England and Wales and Northern Ireland, and for the years 1995 to 1999 for Scotland, and Tenth Revision (1CD-10) code G00.1 from 2001 onwards for England and Wales and Northern Ireland and from 2000 onwards for Scotland.
	(14) Figures are for deaths occurring in each calendar year for residents of England and Wales and for deaths registered in each calendar year for Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Population

Jim Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the mid-year population estimates were in each metropolitan authority in Tyne and Wear in each year between 1999 and 2004; and what estimate he has made of the population of each authority in (a) 200607, (b) 200708 and (c) 200809 based on the estimates for (i) 1999 to 2003 and (ii) 2000 to 2004.

John Healey: holding answer 24 November 2005
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Karen Dunnell to Mr. Jim Cousins, dated 29 November 2005
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning the population of Tyne and Wear. (31630)
	The Office for National Statistics produces official mid-year population estimates and subnational population projections.
	Table 1, attached below shows the mid year population estimates for the metropolitan authorities in Tyne and Wear for the years 1999 to 2004.
	The most recent set of official subnational population projections are 2003-based and use local trends in births, deaths and migration over the reference period 1999 to 2003 to formulate assumptions on levels of these components of change for future years. Updated 2004-based projections (using a 2000 to 2004 reference period) will be published in summer 2006.
	Table 2, attached below shows the 2003-based projected mid-year population for the Tyne and Wear metropolitan authorities for years 2006 to 2009.
	
		Table 1: Mid-year population 1999 to 2004
		
			  1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 
		
		
			 Gateshead 193,300 191,900 191,200 190,900 191,000 191,300 
			 Newcastle Upon Tyne 271,000 267,600 266,200 266,000 266,600 269,500 
			 North Tyneside 190,100 190,700 192,000 191,400 190,800 190,700 
			 South Tyneside 153,600 153,100 152,800 152,300 151,700 151,500 
			 Sunderland 287,500 285,700 284,600 283,400 283,100 282,700 
		
	
	Note:
	Population estimates are rounded to the nearest 100 people.
	Source:
	Office for National Statistics.
	
		Table 2: Projected population for local authorities in Tyne and Wear
		
			  2006 2007 2008 2009 
		
		
			 Gateshead 189,400 188,900 188,400 188,000 
			 Newcastle Upon Tyne 263,900 263,400 262,900 262,500 
			 North Tyneside 193,300 194,000 194,800 195,600 
			 South Tyneside 149,600 148,900 148,300 147,600 
			 Sunderland 281,100 280,500 280,000 279,600 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. These are 2003-based mid-year population projections.
	2. Subnational population projections are rounded to the nearest 100 people.
	Source:
	Office for National Statistics

Tax Credits

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library a copy of (a) the Gateway Review and (b) the business case for the tax credit computer system.

Dawn Primarolo: The information requested is provided on a confidential basis and is not generally made public.
	To disclose Gateway Review reports would be likely to prejudice both the ability of reviewers to examine the effectiveness, efficiency and economy with which other Government Departments exercise their functions and also the formulation and development of Government policy.

Tax Credits

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many letters from members of the public were received by the tax credits department from April 2003 to April 2005; what the average response time was in each quarter; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what the average time taken to respond to correspondence about tax credit claims was in (a) 200304 and (b) 200405; and what that time has been in 200506.

Dawn Primarolo: Between June 2003 and April 2005, the Tax Credit Office (TCO) received around 1.4 million letters from members of the public or their representatives. Figures are not available before June 2003. TCO aims to deal with 80 per cent. of correspondence within 15 working days and 95 per cent. of correspondence within 40 working days. Indicative figures for 200405 suggest that TCO responded to around half of correspondence within 15 working days and almost three-quarters within 40 working days. Figures are not available for 200304 and indicative figures are not yet available for 200506.

Tax Credits

George Osborne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish the Gateway Review of tax credit IT systems.

Dawn Primarolo: A Gateway Review is conducted on a confidential basis and is not generally made public. To disclose Gateway Review reports would be likely to prejudice both the ability of reviewers to examine the effectiveness, efficiency and economy with which other Government Departments exercise their functions and also the formulation and development of Government policy.

Tax Credits

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many tax credit award notices have been issued in each (a) year, (b) quarter and (c) month since 200102; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: There are more than 6 million families benefiting from tax credits at present. Each adult included in a tax credit award receives an award notice when the initial claim has been decided, each time a change of circumstance is reported, and another after the end of the year when their claim is renewed.
	Child tax credit and working tax credit (CTC and WTC) were introduced in April 2003 replacing children's tax credit, working families' tax credit and disabled person's tax credit; however, (the former) Inland Revenue started issuing CTC and WTC award notices from February 2003. The number of award notices issued in each month since February 2003 is provided in the table.
	
		Thousand
		
			 (b) and (c) Month Numbers of notices issued each month(15) 
		
		
			 2003  
			 February 258 
			 March 2,602 
			 April 2,415 
			 May 3,066 
			 June 2,062 
			 July 2,289 
			 August 1,072 
			 September 1,553 
			 October 1,595 
			 November 1,116 
			 December 1,053 
			 2004  
			 January 1,310 
			 February 1,140 
			 March 2,124 
			 April 1,502 
			 May 4,105 
			 June 4,914 
			 July 4,014 
			 August 3,430 
			 September 3,354 
			 October 3,932 
			 November 1,809 
			 December 1,072 
			 2005  
			 January 1,398 
			 February 1,516 
			 March 2,725 
			 April 3,260 
			 May 3,571 
			 June 4,475 
			 July 3,388 
			 August 3,698 
			 September 4,340 
		
	
	(15) Figures to month end.

Tax Credits

William McCrea: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many calls were received by the tax credits helpline from Northern Ireland residents in August and September.

Dawn Primarolo: The number of calls received by tax credits helpline from Northern Ireland residents are as follows:
	
		
			  Number of calls 
		
		
			 August 2005 44,902 
			 September 2005 48,880 
		
	
	These figures are where the caller selected an option from the call steering menu and was put in a queue to speak to an adviser.

Tax Credits

Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many TC 647 forms have been (a) requested, (b) printed and (c) sent to tax credit claimants giving details on how their tax credit claim has been worked out since the inception of tax credits.

Dawn Primarolo: holding answer 27 October 2005
	Between 3 March 2004 and 27 September 2005 around 370,000 TC647 forms were printed and issued to tax credit claimants. These forms are issued on request.

Tax Credits

Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what measures have been put in place to compensate claimants where automatic recovery of a tax credit overpayment has been stopped, and the overpayment found to have been caused by official error.

Dawn Primarolo: For details of the circumstances in which HM Revenue and Customs will make compensation payments, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Tatton (Mr. Osborne) on 19 July 2005, Official Report, column 1698W.

Tax Credits

Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 2 November 2005, Official Report, columns 105758W, on tax credits, what proportion of the families contacted returned their renewal forms before 30 September.

Dawn Primarolo: holding answer 8 November 2005
	HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) made around 341,000 outbound call attempts. Of those, around 81,000 resulted in taxpayer contact, this generated around 3,900 renewals at the time of calling. HMRC also estimate that a further 15,400 claimants subsequently rang back to renew as a direct result of the initial contact.
	Overall, for 200405, HMRC issued around 4.2 million 200405 renewals declarations requiring a response and only around 200,000 of those had not been returned by 30 September 2005.

Tax Credits

Vera Baird: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how the tax credit IT system differentiates between a credit allocated to a recipient and a payment made to the same recipient.

Dawn Primarolo: Tax credits are allocated at household, not individual, level. The whole circumstances of the household are considered against a set of rules and elements of entitlement are allocated accordingly. Each element of entitlement is designated as either child tax credit (CTC) or working tax credit (WTC) and a composite entitlement to CTC and WTC calculated.
	Where a household contains two adults the claimants nominate which individual will receive payments for each tax credit. This can mean that one member of the household receives both credits or that they receive one credit each.
	While individual payments are physically made to one person payments are treated as being made to the household. Members of the household are equally entitled to the payments and equally liable to repay any amount which is overpaid (joint and several liability).

Tax Credits

Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether a claimant whose circumstances make him eligible for working tax credit and child tax credit is able to claim working tax credit only.

Dawn Primarolo: The child and working tax credits are a single, seamless system of support for families with children and for low-paid people in work. In practice a claim for working tax credit is also a claim for child tax credit if a claimant is eligible for both. The reverse is also true.

Tax Credits

Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what methods the Department has developed with the voluntary sector to target support to vulnerable families claiming tax credits.

Dawn Primarolo: I refer the right hon. Gentleman to my statement to the Treasury Sub-Committee of 26 October 2005.

Tax Credits

Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many tax credit claimants had their awards processed using an emergency national insurance number in (a) 200304 and (b) 200405; what the figures are for 200506; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: holding answer 24 November 2004
	The information is not available.
	HM Revenue and Customs could provide details of the number of current claims with a temporary tax credits reference number only at disproportionate cost.

Tax Credits

Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the total amount outstanding in backdated tax credits that have not yet been paid where a claim has been processed but a system error has delayed the generation of an award of tax credits was in (a) 200304 and (b) 200405; and how much is outstanding in 200506 to date.

Dawn Primarolo: holding answer 24 November 2005
	The information is not available. Where payments cannot be made via the system they can be paid manually. I refer the hon. gentleman to the reply I gave him on 15 November 2004, Official Report, column 1212W.

Tax Credits

Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the written statement of 26 May 2005, Official Report, columns 2223WS, on tax credit overpayments, with how many voluntary sector bodies discussions have been held on providing more active support and advice for families claiming tax credits; and on what dates.

Dawn Primarolo: I refer to the minutes of evidence taken before the Treasury Sub-Committee on Wednesday 26 October 2005. I informed Members that HMRC is discussing with the Citizens Advice Bureau how they can best work together with a view to developing pilots to support claimants better, including offering face-to-face contact with the most vulnerable groups.
	The Department is also working with the HMRC Tax Credits Consultation Group, which includes representatives from the voluntary sector and other interested parties, to speed up improvement in key areas. In addition to the group's regular meetings, a number of working parties have been set up. Working parties, made up of representatives and officials, are considering a range of issues such as a review of Code of Practice 26, the Helpline, HMRC tax credit website and complaints and redress.

Tax Credits

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will establish a system of tax credits similar to that used in the United States to encourage employers to help their staff to improve their level of skills; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The Government recognise that improving the skills of the work force plays an important part in increasing productivity and reducing social exclusion. The financial assistance available to encourage employers and learners to improve their skills is set out the Government's Skills Strategy and recent White Paper, Skills: Getting on in business and getting on in work.

Tax Credits

Danny Alexander: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer in how many cases in Scotland where a tax credit has been processed there was a delay in the computer system generating an award of child or working tax credit in (a) 200304 and (b) 200405; and how many such cases there have been in 200506.

Dawn Primarolo: The information requested is not available.

Unemployment

Diana Johnson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of the working age population was unemployed in each ward in Kingston upon Hull, North in each year since 1997.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Colin Mowl to Ms Diana R. Johnson, dated 29 November 2005
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question about unemployment. I am replying in her absence. (31396)
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles statistics of unemployment from the Labour Force Survey following International Labour Organisation definitions. Estimates of unemployment are not available for wards as the survey sample size for such areas is too small.
	However, ONS also compiles statistics for local areas of people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance. Table 1 shows statistics for the number of claimants expressed as a percentage of the resident working age population for the Kingston upon Hull North constituency for the years 1997 to 2005. Comparable percentages for constituency wards of Kingston upon Hull North are only available from February 2004. Table 2 shows these statistics for the months available to date.
	
		Table 1: Jobseeker's allowance claimants as a percentage of the resident working age population for Kingston upon Hull, North parliamentary constituency
		
			 Date Annual average percentage 
		
		
			 1997 7.8 
			 1998 7.5 
			 1999 7.0 
			 2000 6.0 
			 2001 5.4 
			 2002 5.2 
			 2003 5.1 
			 2004 4.5 
			 2005(16) 4.8 
		
	
	(16) Average for period January 2005 to October 2005
	Source:
	Jobcentre Plus administrative systems.
	
		Table 2: Jobseeker's allowance claimants as a percentage of the resident working age population in wards of the Kingston upon Hull, North parliamentary constituency
		
			  2004 
			 Wards(17) February March April May June July August September October November December 
		
		
			 Avenue 5.3 5.2 5.0 4.9 4.7 4.6 4.7 4.5 4.0 3.9 3.9 
			 Beverley 2.4 2.2 2.3 2.0 1.8 1.7 1.8 1.5 1.4 1.6 1.6 
			 Bransholme East 8.0 7.9 7.8 7.5 6.9 6.7 6.5 6.6 6.5 5.9 6.1 
			 Bransholme West 6.3 5.9 5.8 5.1 5.1 4.8 4.6 4.8 5.0 5.0 5.3 
			 Bricknell 1.8 1.7 1.5 1.5 1.4 1.5 1.8 1.9 1.6 1.8 1.8 
			 Kings Park 2.4 2.3 2.3 2.3 2.1 2.1 2.3 2.2 2.1 2.1 2.0 
			 Newland 5.0 4.9 4.7 4.3 4.6 4.4 4.0 4.1 3.7 3.5 3.6 
			 Orchard Park and Greenwood 9.4 9.2 8.9 8.8 8.5 8.5 8.7 8.9 8.4 8.4 8.1 
			 University 4.3 4.0 3.9 4.0 39 4.1 3.9 3.8 3.8 3.8 3.9 
		
	
	
		
			  2005 
			 Wards1 January February March April May June July August September October 
		
		
			 Avenue 4.5 4.7 4.5 4.5 4.4 4.5 4.5 4.6 4.9 4.5 
			 Beverley 1.8 1.7 1.8 1.7 1.8 1.8 1.8 1.8 1.7 1.9 
			 Bransholme East 6.6 7.2 7.0 7.4 7.2 6.9 7.2 7.5 7.5 7.3 
			 Bransholme West 6.1 6.3 6.4 6.2 6.4 6.1 6.5 6.4 6.4 6.5 
			 Bricknell 1.9 2.1 2.2 2.1 2.0 2.1 2.3 2.3 2.2 1.9 
			 Kings Park 2.4 2.3 2.3 2.1 2.2 2.6 2.5 2.8 2.7 2.5 
			 Newland 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.5 4.4 4.3 4.5 4.3 4.5 4.5 
			 Orchard Park and Greenwood 8.8 94 9.1 9.8 9.6 9.7 9.7 9.5 9.3 9.9 
			 University 4.0 3.9 3.8 3.8 4.0 4.0 4.1 4.0 4.2 4.4 
		
	
	(17) The figures relate to Census Area Statistics wards
	Source:
	Jobcentre Plus administrative systems

Valuation Office Agency

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much of the costs incurred in respect of the deferred 2007 council tax revaluation the Valuation Office Agency (a) will write off and (b) recover from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.

Phil Woolas: I have been asked to reply.
	The Valuation Office Agency currently has no plans to write-off any costs incurred in respect of the postponed Council Tax Revaluation. The issue of recovery does not therefore arise.

Valuation Office Agency

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what projection he has made of the written down value of the expenditure by the Valuation Office Agency in respect of the deferred 2007 council tax revaluation at (a) 1 June 2009 and (b) 1 June 2010.

Phil Woolas: I have been asked to reply.
	No projection of written down value has been made for 1 June 2009, nor for 1 June 2010, in respect of the Valuation Office Agency (VGA) expenditure on the postponed Council Tax Revaluation by the VOA.

Valuation Office Agency

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what responsibility the Valuation Office Agency has for the levying of (a) inheritance tax, (b) stamp duty and (c) capital gains tax; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The Valuation Office Agency has no responsibility for levying inheritance tax, stamp duty or capital gains tax. It does however have responsibility for undertaking and agreeing property valuations, for taxation purposes, on behalf of Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs.

Valuation Office Agency

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the Valuation Office Agency used (a) computer assisted mass appraisal and (b) the Automated Valuation model for the recent business rates revaluation in England.

Dawn Primarolo: The Valuation Office Agency did not use (a) computer assisted mass appraisal or (b) the Automated Valuation model for the recent business rates revaluation in England. However, the Agency has used significant computerised support in the business rates revaluations, which have taken place on a 5-yearly cycle since 1990.

VAT

John Whittingdale: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received about the threshold below which goods supplied from Jersey are VAT-free; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The Government have received a number of representations on this issue.

VAT

John Whittingdale: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent estimate he has made of the value of goods which are supplied in a year by retailers based on Jersey to UK residents free of VAT.

Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the former Economic Secretary to the Treasury's oral evidence to the Treasury Sub-committee on 2 February 2005, Fourth Report of Session 200405 (HC 126).

VAT

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the revenue cost in (a) 200506 and (b) 200607 of exempting demolition costs from value added tax.

Dawn Primarolo: No estimate has been made.

VAT

Lady Hermon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much value-added tax was paid by voluntary and charity sector organisations in each of the past five years for which figures are available.

Ivan Lewis: HM Revenue and Customs do not collect data on VAT from individual goods and services. The amount of VAT received from voluntary and charity sector organisations is therefore unavailable.

Working Tax Credits

Alistair Burt: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many (a) complaints and (b) appeals have been made about working tax credits in North East Bedfordshire in 200405; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: This information is not available at constituency level.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Budgetary Forecast

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the projected direct budgetary support from his Department for each country is for the next three years.

Hilary Benn: DFID plans for Poverty Reduction Budgetary Support (PRBS) for the period 200506 to 200708, broken down by country and region, are as set out in the table. The figures include amounts earmarked for General PRBS and Sector PRBS.
	All forecast figures are provisional and subject to review against progress towards meeting agreed development objectives.
	
		
		
			  PRBS total 
			 Country/region 200506 200607 200708 
		
		
			 Africa
			 DRC 0 0 0 
			 Ethiopia (18) (18) (18) 
			 Ghana 25,000 35,000 35,000 
			 Kenya 0 0 0 
			 Malawi 25,000 20,000 20,000 
			 Mozambique 35,000 40,000 40,000 
			 Nigeria 0 0 0 
			 Rwanda 31,000 31,000 31,000 
			 Sierra Leone 15,000 15,000 (18) 
			 South Africa 0 0 0 
			 Sudan 0 0 0 
			 Tanzania 85,000 90,000 105,000 
			 Uganda 50,000 55,000 55,000 
			 Zambia 16,000 21,300 12,500 
			 Zimbabwe 0 0 0 
			 Total 282,000 307,300 298,500 
			 
			 Asia
			 Afghanistan 0 0 0 
			 Bangladesh 8,000 6,000 5,000 
			 Burma 0 0 0 
			 Cambodia 0 0 0 
			 China 0 0 0 
			 East Timor 0 0 0 
			 India 119,000 137,000 158,500 
			 Indonesia 0 0 0 
			 Nepal 10,000 10,000 10,000 
			 Pakistan 37,000 47,000 38,000 
			 Sri Lanka 0 0 0 
			 Vietnam 42,000 38,000 40,000 
			 Total 216,000 238,000 251,500 
			 
			 Rest of the world
			 Nicaragua 850 1,000 (18) 
			 Palestine Authority 5,000 (18) (18) 
			 Total 5,850 1,000 (18) 
			 
			 Total PRBS 503,850 546,300 550,000 
		
	
	(18) To be decided.

Chagossian Community

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans his Department has to provide development aid to the Chagossian community in (a) Mauritius and (b) the Seychelles; and what representations he has made to the EU to provide assistance.

Hilary Benn: We have no such plans and have made no representations.

Departmental Salaries

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will list the 10 highest-paid employees in his Department, broken down by (a) job title and (b) salary including bonuses; and whether the individual concerned is (i) a civil servant and (ii) a contractor in each case.

Hilary Benn: The following table lists the 10 highest-paid employees within DFID. The salary figures do not include any bonuses which will be determined at the end of March 2006. DFID has no contractors within its 10 highest-paid employees.
	
		
			 Job title Salary () 
		
		
			 Director General 164,436 
			 Permanent Secretary 155,850 
			 Director General 129,352 
			 Director General 124,786 
			 Director General 104,504 
			 Director 101,905 
			 Director 96,517 
			 Director 94,828 
			 Director 93,011 
			 Director 92,088

Departmental Staff

John Maples: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development who the Director of Finance and Corporate Development is in his Department; what relevant specialist finance qualifications he or she holds; and what the details are of his or her career to date.

Gareth Thomas: The Director of Finance and Corporate Performance in DFID is Richard Calvert. He expects to complete qualification as a chartered management accountant in the course of 2006. His career to date includes:
	Head of Service Quality in Children, Schools and Families Directorate, Hertfordshire county council (200203)
	Head of Information and Civil Society Department, DFID (19982002)
	Head of Ministerial Offices, DFID/ODA (199598)
	First Secretary, UK Permanent Representation to the European Union, Brussels (199195)
	Range of finance and other programme management roles, ODA (198391).

Departmental Staff

John Maples: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development who the Director of Human Resources is in his Department; what relevant specialist qualifications he or she holds; and what the details are of his or her career to date.

Gareth Thomas: The Director of Human Resources in DFID is Liz Davis. Her relevant specialist qualifications are post graduate diplomas in Leadership, Innovation and Change (1996) and Teaching and Training Adults (1990). Her career to date includes appointments as:
	Deputy Director, Cabinet Office (200005)
	Director of Human Resources, Hull and Holderness Community Health NHS Trust (19942000)
	Training Manager, Humberside Social Services (199394)
	Local Organiser, Humberside county council (198892)
	Community Development Worker, Hull Council for Voluntary Service (1987).

Departmental Telephone Lines

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how the money that is raised from his Department's 0845 prefix contact telephone number is spent.

Gareth Thomas: DFID has an 0845 number which enables members of the public to call the Public Enquiry Point in East Kilbride from anywhere in the United Kingdom. Calls are charged at standard local rates, and there is no revenue generated for the Government.

Development Spending Targets

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether the UK is on track to meet the UN target of spending 0.7 per cent. of gross domestic product on international development by 2013.

Hilary Benn: The UK is on track to meet the target of spending 0.7 per cent. of gross national income (GNI) on official development assistance (oda) by 2013. Total net oda from the UK to developing countries was 4.3 billion in 2004 which represented 0.36 per cent. of GNI. In the Spending Review 2004, the Chancellor announced that total UK oda will reach nearly 6.5 billion a year by 200708. This represents 0.47 per cent. of GNI, and is a real terms increase in UK oda of 140 per cent. since 1997. He also stated that the Government wishes to maintain these rates of growth in the overseas aid budget in order to meet the UN target by 2013.

Earthquake (Kashmir)

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what estimate his Department has made of the number of deaths from exposure that will occur this winter following the earthquake in Kashmir.

Gareth Thomas: It is not possible to give a meaningful estimate of possible deaths from exposure in affected areas during the winter months. The Government of Pakistan and international relief effort is focussed on providing shelter and other assistance to those who choose to remain above the snow line and also providing camps for those relocating to lower altitudes. The immediate priorities are to deliver shelter materials with warm rooms to remove the risks of exposure and provide water and sanitation interventions for the camps to prevent the spread of disease. The emergency shelter programme involves mobile outreach teams providing material and technical support for the construction of warm rooms for families above the snow line. To support this effort an 86-strong Royal Engineers unit has deployed to the region.
	The Government are providing 58 million towards the international relief effort and has allocated 70 million for reconstruction.

Roll Back Malaria Programme

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps he is taking to encourage greater accountability and transparency in the World Health Organisation's roll back malaria programme.

Gareth Thomas: There is a distinction between the World Health Organisation's Roll Back Malaria Department and Roll Back Malaria Partnership: The Roll Back Malaria Department of the World Health Organisation (WHO) is responsible for the co-ordination of the WHO'S global efforts on malaria. As part of the HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria cluster, the Roll Back Malaria Department reports progress using standard WHO results-based management systems, primarily against the organisation's programme budget. During 2004, DFID conducted an assessment of the WHO's effectiveness; the results concluded that the WHO was working towards better strategic planning, organisational efficiency and improved accountability for results.
	At the World Health Assembly this year, member states commended the WHO for the progress it is making in implementing results-based management across the organisation, which now provides greater transparency and accountability.
	The Roll Back Malaria Partnership (RBM) is a global initiative against malaria which provides a co-ordinated international approach for joint action to tackle the global burden of malaria. The WHO, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the World Bank launched the RBM Partnership in 1998. The WHO is an important partner of RBM, which is housed within the WHO's Malaria Department.
	The UK, as a board member of the partnership is working with partners to address a number of issues concerning the effectiveness of RBM Partnership which includes accountability and transparency. DFID has supported RBM Partnership to develop a five-year global strategic plan and a two-year work plan to assist with greater accountability and transparency by setting out clearly the goals and responsibilities of the partnership. We have also supported the Partnership Forum where the partnership is accountable to many additional stakeholders; the most recent forum was held in Cameroon in November. In addition, the UK has pushed for greater transparency on the way the partnership operates and, as a result, most RBM materials are now available on the website. We will continue to push for more transparency in development of technical guidance by the WHO.
	The third and final High Level Forum for Health met in November in Paris. Participants encouraged RBM and other global health partnerships to adopt and implement a set of best practice principles. Four of the 21 principles deal with accountability and transparency. We will be looking to ensure that these principles are endorsed by the RBM Board.

St. Helena

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what estimate he has made of the (a) costs and (b) total investment that will be forthcoming from (i) the Department for International Development, (ii) other UK Government Departments, (iii) the EU, (iv) private companies and (v) other sources for the proposed redevelopment of the island of St.Helena.

Gareth Thomas: There are no plans to redevelop St. Helena. Last March, however, I announced proposals to build an airport and establish air services for the island by or around 2010. The commitment was subject to satisfactory contract bids and a rigorous environmental impact assessment. The project budget has not been made public, as to do so might prejudice competition for the airport design, build and operate contract. The cost of the airport will be additional to DFID's regular support for St. Helena, currently running at some 14 million per annum.
	St. Helena is also eligible for support from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Good Governance and Economic Diversification programmes, plus a Governor's Delegated Fund and a joint DFID/FCO Overseas Territories Environmental Programme. Disbursements from those sources are expected to total around 250,000 this year. Funds currently available to St. Helena from the European Union total over 9 million, all of which St. Helena hopes to utilise over the next few years for improvements to its wharf facilities.
	No private sector funding is envisaged for the airport. All private sector interest in St. Helena, however, will be welcome and considered on an equal footing. We are currently helping St. Helena to review its tourism and inward investment policies, following the decision to build an airport. The aim is for agreed policy to guide investment, and not vice versa.

St. Helena

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much has been allocated for the construction of an airstrip on St.Helena.

Gareth Thomas: Our estimates have not been published, as to do so could commercially prejudice current procurement processes.

Water and Sanitation (Funding)

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 9 November 2005, Official Report, column 475W, on water and sanitation (funding), how many additional child diarrhoeal deaths he expects to occur if progress towards the Millennium Development Goal target for sanitation in sub-Saharan Africa continues at the rate of progress between 1990 and 2002.

Hilary Benn: Calculating the number of diarrhoea! deaths attributable to inadequate sanitation is not an easy task. Most of them occur in the homes of the poor in remote villages and ramshackle shanty-towns, without the knowledge of health care workers. Most can be attributed to multiple contributory causes including malnutrition, malaria, the aftermath of measles and contaminated water, as well as poor sanitation.
	Roughly the same number of people in sub-Saharan Africa lack access to water supply (266 million) as lack sanitation (242 million); indeed, many people lack both.
	The best available calculation is by the World Health Organisation (WHO), which estimates that 747,500 deaths a year in sub-Saharan Africa could be attributed to deficient water, sanitation and hygiene. The vast majority (99 per cent.) of these are deaths from diarrhoea, and nearly 90 per cent. of those who die are children less than five-years-old. This gives a figure of some 650,000 child diarrhoeal deaths a year due to poor water, sanitation and hygiene.
	Looking to the future, if progress towards the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) is not accelerated we can expect the number of deaths to decrease very slightly each year, but at this rate we estimate that in 2092 34 per cent. of the population would still lack access to basic sanitation.

LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Freedom of Information

Roger Williams: To ask the Leader of the House how many Freedom of Information applications his Office has received; how many have taken more than 20 days to process; and how many of these gave rise to complaints about the time taken.

Geoff Hoon: The Office of the Leader of the House has received nine Freedom of Information applications from 1 January to 30 June 2005. None has taken more than 20 days to process. The applications are included under the Privy Council Office's statistics published in the Department for Constitutional Affairs quarterly bulletin.
	The Department for Constitutional Affairs is committed to publishing quarterly updates in relation to departmental performance under FOI, including information on both the volume and outcomes of requests. The bulletin for the second quarter was published on 30 September 2005 and can be found on the DCA website at http://www.foi.gov.uk/statsapr-jun05.htm and in the Libraries of both Houses. The next bulletin will be published before Christmas, while an annual report will be published in early 2006.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Brixham Council

Anthony Steen: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister 
	(1)  following the affirmative referendum on the creation of a Brixham town council, if he will establish such a council in 2006;
	(2)  pursuant to the answer to parliamentary question 30167, if he will set out the consultation that has to take place to create a new town council in Brixham following an affirmative referendum; what other processes are required; and for what reasons these steps will take six to nine months.

Phil Woolas: No proposals to establish a town council in Brixham have been received by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and if such proposals were received in view of the time scale given in the answers to the hon. Member on 9 November 2005, Official Report, columns 49596W and 21 November 2005, Official Report, column 1701W, it is unlikely that one could be established in time for elections for new parish and town councils in May 2006.
	Depending on the issues that proposals for new parish arrangements may raise the consultation that needs to take place is with local authorities, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's lawyers, Ministers and other stakeholders such as the Ordnance Survey and the Electoral Commission.
	Before recommendations are made to Ministers, the processes required need to ensure that each recommendation contained in the review complies with the legislation and that they meet the underlying criteria that a parish needs to reflect the identities and interests of local communities, and that it secures effective and convenient local government.
	The reasons these steps take six to nine months are that these cases are dealt with in rotation; that reviews raise complex and technical issuessome reviews make only one or two boundary changes, others are district wide recommending many boundary changes, some of these with consequential changes to electoral arrangements. In addition, maps need to be commissioned showing the proposed boundary changes; and we need to consult for up to six weeks on the content of the draft order that will implement new parish arrangements.

Council Tax

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to the answer of 15 June 2005, Official Report, column 386W, on council tax, what sanctions are available to Valuation Office Agency representatives against householders who refuse to admit valuation inspectors who have given written advance notice of their request to make a council tax valuation inspection.

Phil Woolas: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member on 24 November 2005, Official Report, column 2240W.

Council Tax

Patrick McLoughlin: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what proportion of spending by (a) Derbyshire county council, (b) Derbyshire Dales district council and (c) Amber Valley borough council has been financed from council tax in each of the years since 1 January 1996.

Phil Woolas: The percentage of revenue expenditure by Derbyshire county council, Derbyshire Dales district council and Amber Valley borough council that has been financed from council tax in each financial year since 199697 is tabled as follows:
	
		Percentage
		
			  Derbyshire county council Derbyshire Dales district council Amber Valley borough council 
		
		
			 199697 26.1 38.4 31.2 
			 199798 28.7 40.0 38.6 
			 199899 30.2 39.7 38.5 
			 19992000 30.3 45.6 39.2 
			 200001 30.1 47.0 42.4 
			 200102 30.2 46.6 38.7 
			 200203 31.2 43.0 34.5 
			 200304 30.0 47.5 37.4 
			 200405 29.0 52.2 35.4 
			 200506 28.0 52.7 38.2 
		
	
	The data are as reported by local authorities and are taken from revenue summary (RS) returns for 199697 to 200304, and revenue account budget (RA) returns for 200405 and 200506.
	The definition of council expenditure used here is that expenditure funded from aggregate external finance (AEF), council tax and authorities' reserves.
	Comparisons across years may not be valid due to changes in the method of reporting the information. In particular, the outturn data for 199697 to 200203 have been calculated on a non-FRS (financial reporting standard) 17 basis while the outturn data for 200304 has been calculated on an FRS 17 basis. The budget data for 200405 and 200506 are a mix of FRS 17 and non-FRS 17. This is because for their 200405 and 200506 budget forms local authorities, after consultation, were given the option to complete their forms either on a non-FRS 17 basis or on an FRS 17 basis. Hence, figures for different years may not be directly comparable.

Council Tax Valuation

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether a regulatory impact assessment was produced for the Council Tax (New Valuation Lists for England) Bill.

Phil Woolas: Paragraph 10 of the explanatory notes accompanying the Bill makes clear, that the regulatory impact unit of the Cabinet Office (now known as the Better Regulation Executive) confirmed that no regulatory impact assessment was required.

Emergency Services

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what steps the Government are taking to co-ordinate the response of fire and rescue services with other emergency services; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Fire and Rescue National Framework 200506 requires all Fire and Rescue Authorities in England to have in place robust plans for integrated command and control of major incidents, and to co-ordinate these both with other emergency services and with non-emergency responders such as local authorities and the Environment Agency.
	The specification for the new Firelink wide area radio communications system requires interoperability between the fire and rescue service and the other emergency services.
	Guidance on a consistent operational approach is provided by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and the Chief Fire Officers' Association and by the Cabinet Office, and is kept under continuing review.
	I have no plans to change these arrangements.
	Similar arrangements operate in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland under the overall guidance of the devolved Administrations.

Fire Services

Nigel Evans: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many (a) part-time and (b) full-time firefighters serviced (i) Lancashire and (ii) Ribble Valley constituency in each year since 1997.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The number of firefighters employed by the Lancashire fire and rescue service between 1997 and 2004 is set out as follows:
	
		
			  Datel Retained duty system firefighters Whole-time firefighters 
		
		
			 1997 390 971 
			 1998 395 979 
			 1999 402 1,007 
			 2000 398 1,008 
			 2001 371 1,010 
			 2002 357 1,002 
			 2003 369 1,008 
			 2004 384 990 
			 2005(20) 402 957 
		
	
	(19) Information provided refers to the work force at 31 March.
	(20) Figures are provisional.
	Source:
	Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's annual returns.
	Information on the number of firefighters employed at constituency level is not held centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Offices of the Regions

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many full-time equivalent staff were employed by each Government office of the regions in each year since 199697; and what the estimated figures are for 200506.

Yvette Cooper: The total number of staff employed in each Government office on 31 March for each year from 1997 to 2005 and the latest figures for end September 2005 is as follows. Full-time equivalents are not available:
	
		
			  March September 
			 GO 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2005 
		
		
			 East of England 173 169 163 176 178 189 235 271 277 276 
			 East Midlands 226 208 213 233 214 239 277 296 285 282 
			 London 274 325 338 382 279 258 282 316 316 311 
			 North East 276 270 250 255 249 275 296 326 327 297 
			 North West(21) 388 396 368 371 353 338 351 360 338 347 
			 South East 211 184 192 223 240 275 277 319 295 297 
			 South West 135 185 200 217 265 288 309 354 340 324 
			 West Midlands 324 340 268 260 290 277 301 307 339 293 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 260 249 233 270 255 264 283 312 307 285 
			 Total 2,267 2,326 2,225 2,387 2,323 2,403 2,611 2,861 2,824 2,712 
		
	
	(21) For 1997 and 1998, figures include staff in Government office for Merseyside, which was merged with GO North West on 1 April 1998.

Planning

Anne Milton: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what research he has commissioned into the (a) background, (b) sex, (c) socio-economic status and (d) ethnic origin of people who respond to planning applications.

Yvette Cooper: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has not conducted research into the ethnic, gender, or social background of third parties who comment on planning applications, nor on the results of planning applications.

Planning

Norman Baker: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether he treats the provisions relating to the correction of errors in decisions set out in part five of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 as applying to decisions made as a result of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000; and whether he treats the 2000 Act as a planning act for the purposes of part five of the 2004 Act.

Yvette Cooper: The power to correct errors in decisions contained in part 5 of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 relates only to the errors in decision documents set out in section 59(4). Decision made under the Countryside and Right of Way Act 2000are not listed in section 59(4). The planning Acts in section 59(4)(h) is defined by section 117(4) and does not include the Countryside and Right of Way Act 2000.

Street Crime Wardens

Andrew Pelling: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what proportion of the street crime wardens funding stream from the Government office for London was made available to the London borough of Croydon in 200405.

Phil Woolas: 4.4 million was allocated to the Government office for London to fund street crime wardens in 200405, of this 240,000 was made available to the London borough of Croydon.

Super Output Areas

Ben Chapman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans his Department has to use super output areas as a means to direct funding towards pockets of deprivation.

Phil Woolas: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has used both district level and super output area (SOA) level data to allocate the new Neighbourhood Renewal Fund (NRF) resources. As well as, the district level summaries of the Indices of Deprivation 2004 (ID04) to determine which areas should be eligible for NRF because this data take into account the extent of deprivation across a local authority as a whole.
	However, the new SOA level data have been used to determine the amount of NRF allocated to each eligible authority.
	SOA data have also been used to allocate Neighbourhood Element of the Safer and Stronger Communities Fund (SSCF (NE)) worth 160 million over four years 200610 and the Cleaner Safer Greener (CSG) element of SSCF, worth an additional 105 million for the two years 200608. This brings together a total package of nearly 1.3 billion to help local authorities and their partners in narrowing the gap between deprived areas and the rest of the country.
	SOA data provide a better picture of the number of people living in very deprived neighbourhoods within each local authority than the old ward level data did.

Telephone Masts

Anne Milton: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what planning guidance his Department issues to borough councils about mobile phone networks sharing mobile phone mast sites.

Yvette Cooper: Planning policy guidance note 8: 'Telecommunications' (PPG8), makes clear the expectation that developers should provide evidence to local planning authorities that they have carefully considered the use of existing masts, buildings and other structures before seeking to erect any new mast, regardless of size. The authority may be justified in refusing prior approval or planning permissions if it considers the evidence regarding the consideration of such alternative sites is not satisfactory.

Telephone Masts

Anne Milton: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he last met officials from the Department of Health to discuss the potential impact of phone masts on public health.

Yvette Cooper: I met with Melanie Johnson, the then Minister for Public Health on 27 January 2005 this year.

Thames Gateway

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what consultation there has been between the Government and (a) Essex county council, (b) Thurrock council, (c) Basildon council, (d) Havering council and (e) Barking and Dagenham council in connection with the plans to build the Thames Gateway.

Yvette Cooper: They have been closely involved in the development of the Thames Gateway. Essex county council, Thurrock council and Basildon council are members of the sub-regional Thames Gateway South Essex Partnership. In different parts of the Gateway, different arrangements apply. Thurrock council is represented on the Board of the Thurrock Thames Gateway Development Corporation, which is leading regeneration of the Thurrock area. Essex county council and Basildon district council are members of the Basildon Renaissance Partnership, which is promoting development in the Basildon area. Havering council and Barking and Dagenham council are represented on the board of the London Thames Gateway Development Corporation, which is taking forward regeneration at the London end of the Gateway.

CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

Asylum Law Provision

James McGovern: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many asylum cases have been undertaken by lawyers paid for under legal aid or community legal service funding in each of the past three years.

Bridget Prentice: The following figures have been provided by the Legal Services Commission (LSC) for the immigration category of work:
	Controlled work matters started:
	200405: 94,236
	200304: 120,440
	200203: 155,865
	Controlled work covers the provision of legal advice and legal representation before the Immigration Appellate Authorities.
	The total certificates issued:
	200405: 1,856
	200304: 2,253
	200203: 2,920
	Licensed work relates to other legal representation.
	The figures cover solicitors and not-for-profit suppliers. The figures do not split matters started or certificates issued under the LSC immigration contract by asylum and non-asylum cases. The LSC records matters started rather than cases started and for controlled work there is likely to be more than one matter start per case in some instances.

Court Performance Targets

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs 
	(1)  what the national performance targets are for Crown courts; and what the performance of each Crown court in Devon and Cornwall has been against those targets;
	(2)  what the national performance targets are for magistrates courts; and what the performance of Torquay Magistrates Court has been against those targets;
	(3)  what the national performance targets are for county courts; and what the performance of the (a) Torquay and (b) Newton county courts has been against those targets.

Harriet Harman: The following tables set out the key performance indicators for the Crown, county and magistrates courts and the national target levels for 200506. The tables show performance figures for the Crown court centres in Devon and Cornwall, magistrates courts data, which is only available at the Devon and Cornwall area level, and county court data for Torquay. Newton Abbot county court was closed on 30 March 1996 and merged with Torquay county court.
	
		Devon and Cornwall area statisticsFinancial year to date, April to October 2005
		
			  Devon and Cornwall crown court 
			 Courts Ineffective trial rate Ineffective trial rate national target Number of sitting days (FYD) Allocation of days for sittings (FYD) 
		
		
			 Exeter 7.1 17.0 412.0  
			 Plymouth 16.8 17.0 306.5  
			 Truro 67 17.0 252.0  
			 Barnstaple(22) 0.0 17.0 19.0  
			 Devon and Cornwall 10.9 17.0 989.5 889 
		
	
	(22) Barnstaple's ineffective trial rate is 0.0% due to the fact that the cases in that court were either cracked or effective.
	Note:
	Sitting days allocated at area level.
	
		National targets
		
			 Percentage 
			  Committals for trial78% 16 weeks or less Section 51 (Narey/Sent for trial)78% 26 weeks or less 78% 
			  In custody On bail Custody and bail In custody On bail Custody and bail Sentence 10 weeks or less Appeals 14 weeks or less All types % in target 
		
		
			 Exeter 97.1 78.0 80.6 81.8 70.7 74.8 85.4 94.0 81.8 
			 Plymouth 80.0 48.4 57.1 71.4 51.3 62.5 80.2 84.2 66.6 
			 Truro 87.0 66.7 70.7 76.0 82.1 79.7 87.7 89.1 79.5 
			 Barnstaple 83.3 80.0 80.8  0.0 0.0 100.0 62.5 79.6 
			 Devon and  Cornwall 86.3 63.0 68.5 76.4 68.3 71.8 84.5 87.7 75.6 
		
	
	
		Devon and Cornwall magistrates courts
		
			  April to August (FYD) National target (days) 
		
		
			 Persistent Young Offenders   
			 Devon and Cornwall 59 71 
			 Magistrates courts only 53  
			 Crown court only 195  
		
	
	Note:
	Data for persistent young offenders financial year to date is only available for the period April to August. The target for persistent young offenders is not split into separate targets for the magistrates courts and Crown court.
	
		Devon and Cornwall magistrates courts
		
			  Percentage 
		
		
			 Ineffective trials  
			 Ineffective trial rate (April to September 2005) 22.8 
			 National targets for 200506 23.0 
			   
			 Enforcement of penalties  
			 April to September 2005 (FYTD) 99.7 
			 National payment rate target in 200506 81 
		
	
	
		Torquay county court
		
			  Percentage 
		
		
			 Claims  
			 Small Claim  
			 %=15 weeks (Target 78%) 91.3 
			 Fast Track  
			 % =30 weeks (Target 78%) 81.5 
			   
			 Multi Track  
			 %=60 weeks (Target 78%) 81.0 
			   
			 All  
			 % Dealt on time (not targeted) 89.1 
			   
			 Attachment of earnings  
			 All Disposals  
			 % = 10 weeks (Target 70%) 78.6 
		
	
	
		Percentage
		
			  Applicationnisi Nisiorder All 
			  Percentage dealt in time 
			  (=2 weeks) (=10 weeks) Dealt in respective times (target=70%) 
		
		
			 Charging Orders 96.1 94.8 95.5 
			 
			 3rdParty Orders 100.0 100.0 100.0 
		
	
	
		Children Act Private Law Orders
		
			  Percentage 
			 Parental Resp. orders (PRO)  
		
		
			 % =40 weeks 91.3 
			   
			 s.8 Contact  
			 % = 40 weeks 71.5 
			   
			 s.8 Residence  
			 % =40 weeks 78.3 
			   
			 s.8 Specific issue  
			 % =40 weeks 100.0 
			   
			 s.8 Prohibited steps  
			 %=40 weeks 100.0 
			   
			 Private (PRO and s.8)  
			 % =40 weeks (Target 70%) 76.2

Departmental Staff

Michael Penning: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many staff in her Department were (a) civil servants, (b) contractors and (c) other staff for each year since 1997.

Harriet Harman: The answer cannot be provided without incurring disproportionate cost.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Abandoned Vehicle Recovery

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much was spent on (a) recovering and (b) disposing of abandoned vehicles in Northern Ireland in each year since 1997.

Angela Smith: Removal and disposal of abandoned vehicles is primarily a district council function. However, where an obstruction is caused on the highway, there is a responsibility for roads service. An analysis of recovery and disposal costs is not available and figures for councils can be provided only for the last three years, as this was not held centrally until 200203.
	The expenditure for clearing abandoned vehicles in Northern Ireland since 1997 is set out in the following table.
	
		
		
			  Roads service expenditure District council expenditure Total 
		
		
			 199697 33,044  33,044 
			 199798 23  23 
			 199899 338  338 
			 19992000 514  514 
			 200001 358  358 
			 200102 663  663 
			 200203 351 124,490 124,841 
			 200304 441 185,143 185,584 
			 200405 674 91,821 92,495

Abortion

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the distribution of the review of abortion service guidelines has been among health care professionals in Northern Ireland.

Shaun Woodward: The development of abortion guidelines is a complex task that needs to be taken forward with sensitivity given the divergence of opinion and strength of feeling about this particular issue.
	Work on developing guidance is already under way and it is the intention to have draft guidance developed by May of next year. At this stage, no decisions about the distribution of guidelines have been taken.

Air Routes

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he is taking to attract more air routes into Northern Ireland airports.

David Hanson: The Air Route Development Fund established by the Government to encourage the development of more air routes to Northern Ireland is fully committed and any decision on the future financing of the fund must await the outcome of the public consultation on the draft 2005 Budget.
	In the meantime, ARD Ltd., the company with responsibility for the administration of the fund is maintaining close contact with the airport authorities and the airlines to ensure that we keep abreast of their plans.

Alcohol-related Deaths/Illness

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many deaths there were in Northern Ireland in which alcohol was the primary cause in each of the last five years.

Angela Smith: The following table gives the number of deaths registered in Northern Ireland in each year between 2000 and 2004 where the underlying cause of death indicated a condition directly related to alcohol.
	
		Number of alcohol-related deaths registered in Northern Ireland, 200004
		
			  Alcohol-related deaths(23) 
		
		
			 2000 193 
			 2001 210 
			 2002 246 
			 2003 211 
			 2004(24) 260 
		
	
	(23) For the years 200104 the cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10). The codes used to define alcohol-related deaths are:
	F10Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of alcohol;
	142.6Alcoholic cardiomyopathy;
	K70Alcoholic liver disease;
	K73Chronic hepatitis, not elsewhere classified;
	K74Fibrosis and cirrhosis of liver; and
	X45Accidental poisoning by and exposure to alcohol.
	For the year 2000 the cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10). The codes used to define alcohol-related deaths are:
	291Alcoholic psychoses;
	303Alcohol dependence syndrome;
	305.0Non-dependent abuse of alcohol;
	425.5Alcoholic cardiomyopathy;
	571Chronic liver disease and cirrhosis; and
	E860Accidental poisoning by alcohol.
	(24) Data for 2004 is provisional.

Ambulance Officers

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many ambulance officers in Northern Ireland have reported sick with a stress related illness in each of the last five years.

Shaun Woodward: The information, provided by the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service, is set out in the following table:
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 2005 54 
			 2004 51 
			 2003 48 
			 2002 47 
			 2001 36

Attacks on Fire Crews

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many attacks on fire crews have taken place in each district of Northern Ireland in each of the last five years.

Shaun Woodward: The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service has advised that recording of attacks on firelighters commenced in September 2001. Figures for attacks by fire and rescue service district for each calendar year available are as follows:
	
		
			 District 2001(25) 2002 2003 2004 
		
		
			 Belfast Knock 35 126 86 103 
			 Belfast Whitla 58 142 124 87 
			 Ballymena 3 10 4 9 
			 Coleraine  2 2 4 
			 Glengormley 4 28 21 24 
			 Lisburn  7 2 1 
			 Portadown 2 16 25 32 
			 Bangor  17 11 6 
			 Newry 9 23 14 26 
			 Downpatrick 1 5 5 6 
			 Londonderry 7 20 22 22 
			 Omagh 2 1 1  
			 Cookstown 3 9 8 7 
			 Enniskillen  4 2  
		
	
	(25) Part year.

Blood Donors

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people have given blood in each region of Northern Ireland in each year since 2000; and how many units of blood were given in each region in each year.

Shaun Woodward: The Northern Ireland Blood Transfusion Service (NIBTS) is a regional service that collects blood donations from a range of communities. These include: the public in general (74 per cent. of all donations); sessions in the workplace (8 per cent.); schoolsfrom 17 and 18-year-olds (1 per cent.); colleges and universities (2 per cent.); hospital settings (4 per cent.); and from NIBTS HQ (6.5 per cent.) and the agency's shared facilities at College Street, Belfast (4 per cent.). Data are not collected on any other 'regional' basis within Northern Ireland.
	The figures for blood donations made in each year since 2000 are as follows:
	
		
			  Whole blood donations Approximate number of donors per year 
		
		
			 200405 67,384 42,000 
			 200304 68,799 43,000 
			 200203 67,797 42,000 
			 200102 66,982 42,000 
			 200001 69,702 44,000 
			 Total 340,664

Business Rate

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the impact on (a) jobs in Northern Ireland and (b) the economy in Northern Ireland of the Government's business rates proposals.

Angela Smith: No assessment has been made.
	A commitment however has been given to undertake an initial assessment on the impact and effectiveness of this change as soon as practical after 1 April 2007.

Business Start-ups

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many new business start-ups there were in each of the last five years in (a) East Belfast, (b) North Belfast, (c) South Belfast and (d) West Belfast.

David Hanson: The following table presents the number of new business start-ups offered assistance by Invest NI during each of the last 3 years, analysed by Belfast parliamentary constituency. The information is not available for the financial years prior to April 2002, since the data used to record most of this activity did not capture the detail required to report at constituency level.
	
		
			 Parliamentary constituency 200203 200304 200405 200506(26) Total 
		
		
			 Belfast East 54 98 116 45 313 
			 Belfast North 58 73 92 59 282 
			 Belfast South 88 135 177 64 464 
			 Belfast West 70 94 137 50 351 
			 Belfast Total 270 400 522 218 1,410 
		
	
	(26) 200506 information to September 2005 only.

Child Obesity

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many children were suffering from obesity in Northern Ireland in (a) 1994 and (b) 2004.

Shaun Woodward: The information requested is not available.

Civic Studies

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps his Department is taking to promote (a) knowledge of and (b) interest in parliamentary government in schools in Northern Ireland.

Angela Smith: Citizenship is one of the key themes of the revised Northern Ireland curriculum and will introduce pupils to parliamentary democracy. Legislation will be in place by September 2006 but Citizenship is already being piloted in over two-thirds of post-primary schools. Feedback has indicated that young people have enjoyed these lessons.
	The Department of Education also provides a copy of the Northern Ireland edition of the Young Citizens Passport to all year 11 pupils. The booklet is a valuable source of information to young people and covers topics such as Parliament and The NI Assembly.

Conservation Areas

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 
	(1)  how many dedicated qualified conservation area officers are employed by the Northern Ireland Planning Service; and how many of those are (a) members of the Institute of Historic Building Conservation and (b) not members but eligible for membership;
	(2)  which planning districts in Northern Ireland have a dedicated qualified conservation area officer responsible for the management of conservation areas and other designated areas;
	(3)  how much money was spent by his Department on external consultants' fees relating to conservation areas in each year since 2002.

Angela Smith: There are seven dedicated planning officers who provide advice on conservation area matters. Two officers are members of the Institute of Historic Buildings Conservation. One officer is eligible but not a member. One officer is currently training and will become eligible.
	There is at least one dedicated officer in each divisional planning office. Qualifications are as above with the remainder having taken, or undertaking, appropriate training.
	Details of the money spent on external consultant fees relating to conservation areas each year since 2002 are contained in the following table.
	
		
			  Expenditure () 
		
		
			 200203 103,929 
			 200304 105,174 
			 200405 21,983 
			 April-October 2005 36,594

GCSE

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the quality of the GCSE exam in Northern Ireland.

Angela Smith: The level of attainment at GCSE continues to improve and young people are increasingly better motivated and prepared for examinations. The regulatory bodies in England, Wales and Northern Ireland work closely with all the awarding bodies on the accreditation and marking of public examinations to ensure that standards are maintained. In Northern Ireland, the marking of exam scripts is subject to extensive moderation by CCEA, whose standards are independently assessed by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA).

Consultants/Special Advisers

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list recipients of consultancy fees paid by each Government Department in the Province over each of the last three years.

Angela Smith: A list of the recipients of consultancy fees paid by each of the 11 Departments of the Northern Ireland Administration and the Northern Ireland Office (excluding Agencies and non-departmental public bodies) has been placed in the Library.

Consultants/Special Advisers

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many (a) consultants and (b) special advisers were employed by his Department in each year since 1997; what the cost of each was in each year; and if he will make a statement.

Shaun Woodward: The information requested is as follows.
	(a) Consultants
	The number of consultants employed by the Northern Ireland Office in each year since 1997 could be answered only at disproportionate cost.
	The cost to the Department of employing external consultants in each year since 1997 is as follows:
	
		
			  Cost () 
		
		
			 199798 403,000 
			 199899 309,000 
			 19992000 352,035 
			 200001 479,897 
		
	
	
		
			 200102 Cost () 
		
		
			 Management Consultancy 868,590 
			 External Training 90,509 
			 Internal Audit 26,103 
			 Competition and Purchasing 34,654 
			 Finance and Accountancy 47,918 
			 Organisation and Planning 26,273 
			 Personnel 33,051 
			 Research 88,852 
			 Specific Issues 5,246 
			 Capital Works 9,664 
			 IT Projects 1,017,713 
			 Total 2,248,572 
		
	
	
		
			 200203 Cost () 
		
		
			 Management Consultancy 468,130 
			 External Training 14,818 
			 Internal Audit 71,368 
			 Competition and Purchasing 40,913 
			 Finance and Accountancy 134,162 
			 Information and Control Systems 12,175 
			 Efficiency 14,351 
			 Organisation and Planning 3,534 
			 Personnel 158,079 
			 Research 68,563 
			 Specific Issues 124,475 
			 Capital Works 39,420 
			 IT Projects 1,271,409 
			 Total 2,421,395 
		
	
	
		
			 200304 Cost () 
		
		
			 Management Consultancy 45,468 
			 External Training 20,706 
			 Internal Audit 4,686 
			 Competition and Purchasing 3,653 
			 Finance and Accountancy 71,724 
			 Information and Control Systems 1,764 
			 Efficiency 2,140 
			 Personnel 2,910 
			 Research 54,924 
			 Specific Issues 103,372 
			 Capital Works 2,122 
			 IT Projects 1,856,846 
			 Total 2,170,315 
		
	
	
		
			 200405 Cost () 
		
		
			 Management 86,520 
			 External Training 3,482 
			 Internal Audit 31,428 
			 Competition and Purchasing 1,159 
			 Finance and Accountancy 23,915 
			 Efficiency 1,700 
			 Personnel 1,750 
			 Research 118,517 
			 Specific Issues 47,063 
			 IT Projects 2,963,103 
			 NIO Website 50,203 
			 Total 3,328,839 
		
	
	
		
			 200506(27) Cost () 
		
		
			 Management 72,134 
			 External Training 7,171 
			 Internal Audit 77,552 
			 Organisation and Planning 13,314 
			 Marketing 4,539 
			 Research 161,885 
			 Specific Issues 10,568 
			 IT Projects 1,930,478 
			 NIO Website 4,712 
			 Total 2,282,353 
		
	
	(27) Up to October 2005.
	(b) Special Advisers
	Since 2003, the Government have published on an annual basis the names and overall cost of special advisers and the number in each pay band. For the most recent information I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister on 21 July 2005, Official Report, 158162WS. Information on the numbers of special advisers prior to 2003 was provided at regular intervals and this information will be available in the Library of the House.

Departmental Finance

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the real terms percentage increase in allocated resources for his Department (a) was for the period 199798 to 200405 and (b) is estimated to be between 200506 and 200708 (i) for each period and (ii) for each year.

Shaun Woodward: The following information refers to the Northern Ireland Office (including its Agencies and NDPBs). It does not include information for the 11 Departments of the Northern Ireland Administration.
	
		
			  Real time allocated resources in Real terms percentage increase/decrease 
			 Period/year 200405 prices () (i) for each period (ii) for each year 
		
		
			 (a) 199798 to 200405
			 199798 1,107,599,962   
			 199899 1,060,545,448  -4.2 
			 199900 1,110,725,474  4.7 
			 200001 1,118,380,715  0.7 
			 200102 1,220,806,022  9.2 
			 200203 1,235,581,973  1.2 
			 200304 1,140,734,273  -7.7 
			 200405 1,104,478,000 -0.3 -3.2 
			 
			 (b) 200506 to 200708
			 200506 1,111,308,182  0.6 
			 200607 1,069,894,935  -3.7 
			 200708 1,035,442,605 -6.8 -3.2 
		
	
	Notes.
	1. For the financial years 199798 to 200506, Allocated Resources are based on the Department's Main Parliamentary Estimates.
	2. For the financial years 200607 and 200708, Allocated Resources are based on forecast Parliamentary Estimates calculated from the Department's Spending Review 2004 settlement.

Drug Awareness

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many teachers who specialise in drug awareness and prevention are employed in schools in each education board in Northern Ireland.

Angela Smith: Drugs education is delivered in schools as part of a wider programme of Personal, Social and Health Education. As recommended by departmental guidance, all schools have a designated teacher for drugs education. Drugs awareness training is available to all teachers and every post-primary school, and many primary schools, have at least one teacher who has received it.

Fire Officers

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many fire officers in Northern Ireland have reported sick with a stress related illness in each of the last five years.

Shaun Woodward: Information provided by the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service is given as follows. This relates solely to full-time firefighters. Information is not available for retained firefighters.
	
		
			 April to March Number 
		
		
			 200001 42 
			 200102 48 
			 200203 35 
			 200304 33 
			 200405 35

Freedom of Information

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State forNorthern Ireland how many Freedom of Information applications his Department has received; how many have taken more than 20 days to process; and how many of these gave rise to complaints about the time taken.

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many applications for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 have been received by each of the Northern Ireland Government Departments in 2005.

Angela Smith: Since the Freedom of Information Act 2000 came fully into operation on 1 January 2005, the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister has published statistics on the performance of the 11 Northern Ireland Departments on a quarterly basis. Similarly, figures for the Northern Ireland Office are included in the Department for Constitutional Affairs quarterly update for Whitehall Departments. The total number of requests received by each Department between 1 January 2005 and 30 June 2005 are set out in the following table. The table also notes the number of requests that took more than 20 days to process. Figures for the third quarter, 1 July 2005 to 30 September 2005, should be available towards the end of the year. Only two Departments have received complaints referring to the time taken to process a request. The Department for Regional Development has received one complaint, while the Department of the Environment has received three.
	
		
			 Department Number of requests received(28) Number of requests where 20 working day deadline was extended(29) Number of other requests where the 20 working day deadline was exceeded 
		
		
			 Agriculture and Rural Development 131 3 7 
			 Culture, Arts and Leisure (30)548 3 22 
			 Education 75 7 3 
			 Employment and Learning 51 2 1 
			 Enterprise, Trade and Investment 35 4 2 
			 Finance and Personnel 212 8 2 
			 Health, Social Services and Public Safety 65 2 0 
			 Environment 414 6 71 
			 Regional Development 208 2 8 
			 Social Development 86 2. 9 
			 Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister 48 3 2 
			 Northern Ireland Office 110 18 20 
		
	
	(28) Figures include requests made under the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 (EIRs).
	(29) This figure includes the number of requests made under the FOI Act, where the 20-day period was extended to allow consideration of the balance of the public interest, and the number of requests made under the EIRs, where the 20-day period was extended because of the complexity or volume of the request.
	(30) The DCAL figure includes requests made to the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland.

GPs

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people have registered with general practitioners in East Belfast in each year since 1998.

Shaun Woodward: The information requested is provided in the following table.
	
		Number of new registrations for general practitioners at general practices located within East Belfast
		
			 October to September each year Number of new registrations 
		
		
			 200405) 4,138 
			 200304 3,995 
			 200203 3,675 
			 200102 4,127 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. The Central Services Agency only holds archived data on new registrations from 2001, data for earlier years are not available.
	2. The practices within East Belfast have been identified as being within Belfast, East parliamentary constituency.
	Source:
	Central Services Agency

Maritime Safety

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the merits of employing fully trained lifeguards along beaches and publicly used coastline in Northern Ireland;
	(2)  if he will list the beaches which are manned by qualified lifeguards in Northern Ireland;
	(3)  what assessment he has made of the merits of funding for coastal local government districts who have no lifeguards manning the coastline in their borough;
	(4)  what requirement there is on local government councils who have responsibility for coastlines and beaches to have them properly manned for public use.

Angela Smith: No assessment has been made by the Government of the need for fully trained lifeguards on public beaches in Northern Ireland, nor of the funding for this activity.
	While most of the beaches in Northern Ireland are the responsibility of district councils, there is no statutory requirement on them to provide lifeguards along publicly used beaches.
	However, I am aware that both Down district council and Newry and Mourne district council now have trained beach lifeguards stationed at Tyrella and Cranfield beaches respectively. In addition, I welcome the work being undertaken by Limavady, Coleraine, and Moyle councils and the National Trust to improve safety on their public beaches along the North Coast, by working in conjunction with a range of agencies including the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents; the Royal National Lifeboat Association; the Coastguard; the Ambulance Service for Northern Ireland; and the Royal Life Saving Society.

Graffiti

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many prosecutions there have been against people found putting graffiti on property in each of the last five years in (a) East Belfast and (b) Castlereagh.

David Hanson: Prosecution data for the specific act of putting graffiti on property cannot be separately identified. The figures shown in table 1 include prosecutions for the offences of criminal damage, possessing an article with intent to damage property, and malicious damage. The geographical breakdown is based on offenders addresses that fall within the PSNI District Command Units of East Belfast and Castlereagh. Such a breakdown is not available for 1999.
	Data relating to 2004 will be available in early 2006.
	
		Table 1: Persons prosecuted for criminal damage offences(31) 200003
		
			  Belfast East Castlereagh 
		
		
			 2000 63 29 
			 2001 48 21 
			 2002 38 28 
			 2003 59 33 
		
	
	(31) Includes criminal damage, possessing an article with intent to damage property, and malicious damage.
	Note:
	Data are based on the police District Command Unit in which an offender's address falls. The District Command Unit structure became operational in April 2001. However, for the purposes of comparability, calendar year 2000 and first quarter 2001 data are also provided based on 2001 DCU structure.

Housing

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many houses have been built in (a) Belfast East, (b) Belfast North, (c) Belfast South and (d) Belfast West in each year since 1980.

Angela Smith: Accurate data to answer the question are not readily available. However, the Annual Housing Land Availability Monitor prepared by DOE, Planning Service provides information from 1998 on the annual amount of residential units built in Belfast city council area set out as follows. Castlereagh and Newtownabbey council areas are also included for information.
	
		Housing Completions from 1998 to 2004
		
			  1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004  
			 District council area 1998 to 1999 1999 to 2000 2000 to 2001 2001 to 2002 2002 to 2003 2003 to 2004 Total 
		
		
			 Belfast 675 1,217 1,342 1,490 1,656 1,660 8,040 
			 Castlereagh 140 331 188 103 98 185 1,045 
			 Newtownabbey 583 525 572 500 635 608 3,423 
			 Total 1,398 2,073 2,102 2,093 2,389 2,453 12,508 
		
	
	Note:
	Figures produced as of 2004 Housing Monitor Survey
	Source:
	Planning ServiceHousing Land Availability Monitor

Housing

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many social housing schemes are planned in each council area in the Province, over the next three years; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: The target across Northern Ireland is to start 1,500 new social houses per annum over the next three years from the identified programme.
	The Northern Ireland Housing Executive is responsible for assessing housing need and for prioritising the units in the development programme.
	The programme is reviewed each December to take account of new priorities. The planned programme for 200506 is reasonably firm but some adjustments will be made to the latter two years to take account of slippage and reassessed priorities. This may result in increases in some council areas and reductions in others.
	
		Planned social housing schemes
		
			  200506 200607 200708 
			 Council area Schemes Units Schemes Units Schemes Units 
		
		
			 Antrim 6 58 1 10 1 8 
			 Ards 5 26 5 58 0 0 
			 Armagh 1 4 1 8 0 0 
			 Ballymena 1 11 1 16 1 12 
			 Ballymoney 0 0 1 3 0 0 
			 Banbridge 4 44 0 0 1 5 
			 Belfast 77 1,137 39 905 40 1,143 
			 Carrick 2 30 0 0 0 0 
			 Castlereagh 3 68 1 20 1 20 
			 Coleraine 3 31 0 0 1 20 
			 Cookstown 1 5 0 0 0 0 
			 Craigavon 1 12 2 18 0 0 
			 Derry 8 113 9 93 8 192 
			 Down 3 28 4 39 0 0 
			 Dungannon 0 0 1 19 1 12 
			 Fermanagh 5 31 1 11 0 0 
			 Larne 0 0 1 5 0 0 
			 Limavady 1 6 1 6 1 10 
			 Lisburn 15 156 9 346 5 200 
			 Magherafelt 0 0 0 0 2 14 
			 Moyle 0 0 0 0 1 10 
			 Newry and Mourne 3 27 6 55 2 24 
			 Newtownabbey 1 2 1 57 1 31 
			 North Down 3 40 12 133 1 11 
			 Omagh 1 7 1 8 0 0 
			 Strabane 0 0 1 4 2 21 
			 Total 144 1,836 98 1,814 69 1,733

Retirement Age

William McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans the Government have for the retirement age in Northern Ireland.

Angela Smith: Plans for retirement age in Northern Ireland are outlined in the draft Employment Equality (Age) Regulations (Northern Ireland) which are currently subject to public consultation. A copy of the consultation document has been placed in the Library.

Railways

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which railway stations in Northern Ireland fall below the standards required by the Disability Discrimination Act 2005; and if he will make a statement.

Shaun Woodward: The Disability Discrimination Act 2005 does not apply to Northern Ireland. However, an Order in Council, the Disability Discrimination (NI) Order, will shortly be laid. At present none of Northern Ireland Railways stations currently fully comply with the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA 1995). However, Translink have embarked on a project, funded by Government, to upgrade railway stations and halts in accordance with the DDA 1995 and they are working closely with Disability Action to ensure that those standards are met. The project is expected to be complete by September 2008.

Illegal Taxis

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people in Northern Ireland have been prosecuted for operating an illegal taxi service in each of the last 10 years.

Angela Smith: Unfortunately the requested information is not available prior to April 2003.
	The following information is however available:
	
		
			  Number of taxi operators prosecuted 
		
		
			 April 2003 to March 2004 336 
			 April 2004 to March 2005 212 
			 April 2005 to November 2005 95

Judges (Northern Ireland)

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many judges have been appointed in Northern Ireland in each year since 1990.

Bridget Prentice: I have been asked to reply.
	Since 1990, 77 judicial appointments have been made in Northern Ireland.
	
		
			  LCJ LJ of Appeal High Court County court Resident magistrate District judge 
		
		
			 19902   
			 1991 1  
			 19921 1  
			 1993  2 3  3  
			 19942 1  
			 1995  1 1 1 1  
			 1996  1 
			 1997 1 1 1 2 2 1 
			 1998  1  3 2  
			 1999   2  2  
			 20001 2 1 
			 2001   1 1   
			 2002 1  
			 2003   1 1 2  
			 2004 1 1 2 4   
			 2005   1 1 (32)4  
		
	
	
		
			  Master of the High Court Chief Social Security and Child Support Commissioner Child Support Commissioner Coroner Total 
		
		
			 1990 13 
			 1991 1 
			 19921 3 
			 1993 2 1 1  12 
			 1994 3 
			 1995 4 
			 1996 1 
			 1997 8 
			 1998 1 1 1  9 
			 1999 15 
			 2000 4 
			 2001 13 
			 2002 1 
			 2003 4 
			 2004 8 
			 2005 28 
			 Total 77 
		
	
	(32) Of these appointments two were part-time.
	In addition 272 lay magistrates were appointed in April 2005.

Respect

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps are being taken to educate (a) primary and (b) post-primary school children about the need to treat people from different ethnic backgrounds with respect; what budget has been allocated for such work; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Smith: Schools are currently required to teach the cross-curricular themes of Education for Mutual Understanding and Cultural Heritage, which aim to foster respect for others and improved community relations. This will continue with the introduction of Citizenship Education as a key theme of the revised curriculum.
	The Department of Education does not allocate resources for specific areas of the curriculum.
	The Department has funded a number of relevant publications for use in schools. These are: a Guide for School Management to the Human Rights Act 1998 (Human Rights Commission) and Human Rights Awareness for School Managers (Children's Law Centre).

Medical Instruments

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much money was spent by each health board on medical instruments for use in each year since 1998; and what the projected spend in Northern Ireland is in (a) 2006 and (b) 2007.

Shaun Woodward: The expenditure on the purchase and maintenance of medical and surgical equipment incurred by each health board (including the spend for the board itself and the trusts within the host board area) for the period 199899 to 200304 is given as follows:
	
		000
		
			  EHSSB NHSSB SHSSB WHSSB Total 
		
		
			 199899 23,839 4,252 3,318 4,149 35,558 
			 19992000 25,378 4,559 3,191 3,965 37,093 
			 200001 27,311 4,877 4,960 4,813 41,961 
			 200102 29,641 5,976 5,285 5,919 46,821 
			 200203 33,669 2,782 6,398 6,843 49,692 
			 200304 38,947 3,250 6,481 6,809 55,487 
			   
			 Total 178,785 25,696 29,633 32,498 266,612 
		
	
	The estimated expenditure for 200405, 200506 and 200607 could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Northern Ireland Civil Service (Transfers)

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to permit civilians employed by the Home civil service and working in the Royal Irish Regiment to transfer to the Northern Ireland civil service; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Smith: The Northern Ireland civil service is facing its own efficiency pressures as a result of 'Fit for Purpose' and other current initiatives. However, the Northern Ireland civil service has agreed, in principle, an arrangement whereby staff from UK Departments based in Northern Ireland who have been earmarked for compulsory redundancy could seek appointment to the Northern Ireland civil service at administrative entry grades. It is planned to agree a protocol between the NICS, the relevant UK Departments and the Civil Service Commissioners for Northern Ireland.

Music (Support Staff)

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many permanent curriculum support staff for music are employed by each education and library board; how many were employed by each board in 2004; and what numbers are projected for 200607.

Angela Smith: It is a matter for each education and library board to determine the number of curriculum support staff to be employed. The number of permanent curriculum support staff for music employed by each of the five education and library boards is set out in the following table. The information relates to the Boards' Curriculum Advisory and Support Services (CASS) and the figures provided are the full-time equivalent (FTE) number of permanent staff in 200405 and current estimates for 200506 and 200607.
	
		
			 Board 200405 200506 200607 
		
		
			 BELB 5 1 1 
			 NEELB 3 3 3 
			 SEELB 0.7 0.7 1, 2 
			 SELB 3.5 3 3 
			 WELB 6 (35)0 1, 2 
		
	
	(33) Undetermined at present.
	(34) SEELB and WELB are unable to determine the level of provision for 200607 at this time.
	(35) staff were redeployed within the Curriculum Advisory and Support Service and three took early retirement.

Neighbourhood Partnerships

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State forNorthern Ireland if he will list the members on eachNeighbourhood Partnership in the four Belfastconstituencies; what the position of each on theNeighbourhood Partnership is and who they represent.

David Hanson: Details of membership of each established partnership including the organisation they represent has been placed in the Library.
	It should be noted that the boundary of the Colin Neighbourhood Renewal Area also falls into the Lagan Valley constituency.
	
		List of Neighbourhood Partnerships established and details of their membership
		
			 Members Position Who they represent 
			 Inner North Belfast Partnership   
		
		
			 Paul Roberts Joint Lead Partner Ashton Centre 
			 Michael Donnelly Member Dept For Social Development, Belfast Regeneration Office 
			 Harry Murphy Member Artillery Youth Centre 
			 Carol Ni Chuilin Member New Lodge 
			 Trish O'Kane Member Star Neighbourhood Centre 
			 Ian Crozier Joint Lead Partner Lower North Belfast Community Council 
			 John Dempsey Member Lower North Community Empowerment Partnership 
			 Catherine McCartan Member Lower North Community Empowerment Partnership 
			 Anne Thompson Member Lower North Belfast Community Council 
			 John McGewon Member North and West Health Trust 
			 Sharon Beattie Member Northern Ireland Housing Executive 
			
			 Tullycarnet Neighbourhood Partnership   
			 Maggie Andrews Member East Belfast Partnership 
			 Joe Torney Member Department for Social Development 
			 Ann Martin Member Tullycarnet Community Forurn 
			 Davy Crothers Member Tullycarnet Community Forum 
			 Paul Lincolns Member Tullycarnet Presbyterian Church 
			 Frankie Gallagher Member Tullycarnet Action Group Initiative Trust 
			 Harry Flynn Member Tullycarnet Action Group Initiative Trust 
			 Paul Millar Member Hanwood Project 
			 Paul Carland Member Northern Ireland Housing Executive 
			 Lawrence Ferguson Member South and East Health Trust 
			
			 Inner East Belfast Neighbourhood Partnership   
			 Maggie Andrews Member East Belfast Partnership 
			 Joe Torney Member Department for Social Development Belfast Regeneration Office 
			 Michael Briggs Acting c/person East Belfast Community Development Agency 
			 John Cochrane Member Mersey Street Area Residents Association 
			 Mervyn Gibson Member Ballymac Friendship Trust 
			 Glenn Jordan Member East Belfast Mission Enterprises Ltd. 
			 Colin Robinson Member Bridge Community Association 
			 Cliff Kennedy Member Oasis Caring in Action Ltd. 
			 Bernie McConnell Member Short Strand Community Association 
			 Yvonne Cowan Member South and East Health Trust 
			 Richard Williamson Member Northern Ireland Housing Executive 
			
			 Inner South Neighbourhood Partnership   
			 Gerry Doherty Member South Belfast Partnership Board 
			 Joe Torney Member Department for Social Development, Belfast Regeneration Office 
			 Seamus Flynn Member Markets Development Association 
			 Deidre Hargie Member Markets Development Association 
			 Peter Montgomery Member Markets Development Association 
			 Marie Kavannagh Member Lower Ormeau Community Forum 
			 Gerard Rice Member Lower Ormeau Road Action Group 
			 Ken Orr Member Donegall Pass Community Forum 
			 Vacant Member Donegall Pass Community Forum 
			 Stephanie Green Member Donegall Pass Community Forum 
			 Ken Humphrey Member Mornington Community Project Ltd. 
			 Liam Kinney Member Northern Ireland Housing Executive 
			 Rowan Davidson Member South and East Health Trust 
			
			 South West Belfast Partnership   
			 Gerry Doherty Member South Belfast Partnership 
			 Joe Torney Member Department for Social Development, Belfast Regeneration Office 
			 Ian Robinson Member Sandy Row Community Forum 
			 Cora McCann Member Sandy Row Community Forum 
			 Glenda Davies Member Sandy Row Community Forum 
			 Garnet Busby Member Belfast South Community Resources 
			 Tommy Wilson Member Greater Village Regeneration Trust 
			 Robin Lyttle Member South Belfast Malecare 
			 Paula Bradshaw Member Greater Village Regeneration Trust 
			 Eleanor Jordan Member Windsor Women's Centre 
			 Liam Kinney Member Northern Ireland Housing Executive 
			 Gabi Mornhinweg Member South and East Health Trust 
			
			 Lenadoon Neighbourhood Partnership   
			 Michael Doherty Chairperson Lenadoon Community Forum 
			 Danny Barr Community Rep  
			 Aidan Campbell Community Rep Glen Community Parent/Youth Group 
			 Renee Crawford Community Rep Lenadoon Community Forum 
			 Maria Fox Community Rep Local Residents Association 
			 FR. Martin Magill Community Rep Parish Priest 
			 Tim Attwood Political Rep Belfast City Council 
			 Michael Ferguson Political Rep Sinn Fein 
			 Gerard O'Neill Political Rep Belfast City Council 
			 Marie-Claire Ferris Business Rep Work West 
			 Robin Livingstone Business Rep Andersonstown News 
			 Vincent McAuley Business Rep First Trust Bank 
			 Martin McDermott Statutory Rep Belfast Regeneration Office 
			 Gary Ballentyne Statutory Rep Northern Ireland Housing Executive 
			 John McGeown Statutory Rep North and West Belfast Health and Social Services Rep 
			
			 Colin Neighbourhood Partnership   
			 Ciaran Sheehan Chairperson Private Sector 
			 Martin McDermott Statutory Rep Department for Social Development, Belfast Regeneration Office 
			 Danny Cochrane Statutory Rep Northern Ireland Housing Executive 
			 Kate Thompson Statutory Rep Down Lisburn Trust 
			 Jim Clarke Statutory Rep Catholic Controlled Maintained Schools 
			 Cybil Skelton Statutory Rep South Eastern Education and Library Board 
			 Gerard Daye Community Rep Lagmore 
			 Annie Armstrong Community Rep Twinbrook 
			 Cecilia Whitehorn Community Rep Kilwee 
			 Cllr Patricia Lewsley Political Rep SDLP 
			 Cllr Michael Ferguson Political Rep Sinn Fein 
			 Cllr William Ward Political Rep UUP 
			 Cllr Angela Nelson Political Rep Sinn Fein 
			 Eamon Foster Sectoral Rep Business 
			 Gillian Gibson Sectoral Rep Women and Family 
			 Tim Duffy Sectoral Rep Environment 
			 Joseph McGinnity Sectoral Rep Parish Issues 
			 Bill McComb Sectoral Rep Youth

Parking Tickets

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many unpaid parking tickets there were in Northern Ireland in each of the last 10 years, broken down by local authority area.

Shaun Woodward: The statistics requested have been placed in the Library.
	The Police Service of Northern Ireland currently records statistics by District Command Unit. These were previously recorded by Sub-Divisional Command. The earliest available figures relating to unpaid parking tickets are from 1997.

Police

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many police officers in Northern Ireland have reported sick with a stress related illness in each of the last five years.

Shaun Woodward: The number of officers who have reported sick with a stress related illness is not recorded.
	The following table provides figures for the number of instances that officers reported sick citing stress related illness as a reason, or in which stress has been listed during the medical certification process. An individual officer might report sick with stress on more than one occasion: every occasion is included in the total
	
		Stress related sickness absence 2001 to present
		
			 Calendar year Number 
		
		
			 2001 316 
			 2002 615 
			 2003 573 
			 2004 410 
			 200506 to date (24 November 2005) 394

Pre-schools

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many registered pre-schools there were in each of the education boards in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years.

Angela Smith: The requested information is as follows:
	
		
			  200102 200203 200304 200405 200506 
		
		
			 Belfast 35 40 40 34 36 
			 Western 81 82 87 82 82 
			 North Eastern 99 95 94 90 91 
			 South Eastern 69 71 78 75 74 
			 Southern 76 75 84 84 83 
			 NI total 360 363 383 365 366 
		
	
	Note:
	1. Figures relate to voluntary and private pre-school centres that are funded by the Department of Education.

Quangos

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people are members of quangos in Northern Ireland; and what the total cost of quangos in Northern Ireland was in each of the last 10 years.

Angela Smith: Information on the number of members of each non-departmental public body in Northern Ireland, and their cost (shown as total gross expenditure) since 1998, can be found in the Cabinet Office annual publication Public Bodies, copies of which are held in the Library. Information for 2004 and 2005 is also detailed on the on-line searchable database, accessible through the Cabinet Office website:
	www.civilservice.gov.uk/the_future_of_the_civil_service/agencies_public_bodies/index.asp.

Recycling

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he is taking to increase the amount of household waste that is recycled annually in Northern Ireland.

Angela Smith: The Environment and Heritage Service (EHS) promotes the recycling of household waste in two main ways: grant support to district councils and through education and awareness programmes. Its work has yielded encouraging results, with the overall household recycling rate in Northern Ireland growing from 10 per cent. in 2002 to 18.9 per cent. in 200405. All district councils in Northern Ireland have increased their household recycling rates. Two district councils have achieved a household recycling rate of almost 40 per cent.
	Since 2001, EHS has provided councils with 36 million via the Waste Management Grant Scheme to help procure infrastructure and assist with operating costs associated with meeting their Waste Management Plans. In 200405, 10 million was distributed under the scheme which will finish in 200607. Future support for councils will be reviewed in light of the new Waste Management Strategy which is currently out for consultation and is scheduled for publication in March 2006.
	The Wake up to Waste campaign succeeded in raising the profile of waste management among the general public. EHS continues to reinforce the Reduce, Reuse, Recycle messages and develop new initiatives aimed at achieving behavioural change through education and awareness.

Roads Service

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much funding was received from the European Parliament for the Streetwise Project of the Roads Service in Northern Ireland.

Shaun Woodward: The chief executive of Roads Service (Dr. Malcolm McKibbin) has been asked to write to the hon. Gentleman in response to this question.
	Letter from Malcolm McKibbin to Mr. Peter Robinson, dated 29 November 2005
	You recently asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland a Parliamentary Question regarding how much funding was received from the European Parliament for the Streetwise Project of the Roads Service of Northern Ireland. I have been asked to reply as this issue falls within my responsibility as Chief Executive of Roads Service.
	Streetwise is one of seven Euro-Regional projects concerned with the provision of traffic control facilities and travel information across the Trans European Road Network (TERN). The projects have been in existence since 2001 and the current programme of funding by the European Union is due to finish at the end of 2006. Representatives from the seven projects meet frequently and there is an annual conference at which developments within the projects are highlighted. I understand the project chairpersons are working closely to ensure that European Funding for this work will continue post 2006.
	Funding from the European Union for the current project is provided to offset the costs of studies (50% funding) and implementation of facilities (8% funding). The balance of the costs is met from the national budgets of the project partners.
	To date, Roads Service has received 345,077.37 funding from the European Union for the Streetwise Project.
	I hope this information is helpful.

School Buildings

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he expects to announce the new build programme for the remaining primary schools in the Coleraine area which require new school buildings.

Angela Smith: The North Eastern education and library board and the Catholic Council for Maintained Schools are responsible for identifying the need for school major capital works schemes for their respective sectors, and presenting their proposals to the Department of Education. The Department does not currently have any schemes in planning for primary schools in the area. The Board has identified in its current five-year strategic investment plan, several schemes for replacement primary schools in the Coleraine area though none of them have as yet been presented to the Department for consideration.

Sewerage Treatment

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the estimated completion date is for the sewerage treatment works that will service the village of Drumahoe, Londonderry.

Shaun Woodward: The chief executive of Water Service (Mrs. Katharine Bryan) has been asked to write to the hon. Gentleman in response to this question.
	Letter from Mrs. Katharine Bryan to Mr. Gregory Campbell, dated 29 November 2005
	You recently asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland a Parliamentary Question about the estimated completion date for the sewage treatment works that will service the village of Drumahoe, Londonderry (32221). I have been asked to reply as this issue falls within my responsibility as Chief Executive of Water Service.
	As part of the Drumahoe Sewerage Scheme, Water Service plans to decommission the existing wastewater treatment works at Drumahoe. It will be replaced with on-site storm water storage facilities and a new sewage pumping station that will transfer flows to the upgraded Culmore Wastewater Treatment Works. The contract has been awarded and the scheme is programmed to commence on site in January 2006. It will take 9 months to complete.

Special Schools

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many special schools in Northern Ireland have closed since 1998.

Angela Smith: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply that I gave to the hon. Member for East Antrim (Sammy Wilson) on 10 November 2005, Official Report, column 762W.

Stormont Estate (Northern Ireland) Order

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland for what reasons the Stormont Estate (Northern Ireland) Order 2006 makes provision for the sale of all of the land on the Stormont Estate; and what assessment he has made of the merits of selling land as well as buildings under these proposals.

Angela Smith: The proposed Stormont Estate (Northern Ireland) Order 2006 removes, in part, the restrictions that currently prevent the Department of Finance and Personnel selling or disposing of the lands within the Estate.
	For the purposes of the legislation a proposed boundary has been drawn around a designated part of the Estate occupied by some civil service office buildings. The designated area includes Castle Buildings, Craigantlet Buildings, Dundonald House, Hillview Buildings, Massey House and all the sectional buildings. The extent of the land to be transferred with the buildings is limited to what constitutes reasonable access to, and around, the buildings and the land currently used for car parking.
	The draft legislation and proposed boundary is currently subject to public consultation.

Tax Credits (Helpline)

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will introduce a helpdesk information technologist specialist in the Regional Inland Revenue Office in Belfast to deal with computer errors in tax credit claims from Northern Ireland.

Dawn Primarolo: I have been asked to reply.
	The existing Business Help Desk serves both Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It liaises regularly with Northern Ireland Help Desk Liaison Officers.
	There are no current plans to set up new arrangements solely for Northern Ireland.

Teachers

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many teaching vacancies there are in each education and library board in Northern Ireland.

Angela Smith: Since vacancies are identified by Boards of Governors in accordance with the staffing complement they determine under LMS, the information is not held by the Department of Education nor by the relevant employing authorities, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. I have, however, asked the Department to consider the routine collection of such information in order to inform future decisions about teacher demand.

Teachers

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many (a) primary and (b) secondary school teachers in Northern Ireland will have reached retirement age in each of the next five years.

Angela Smith: The number of teachers in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools who will reach retirement age in the next five years is detailed as follows:
	
		
			 Teachers who will have attained age 65 years at 31 August each year: Primary schools Secondary schools Total 
		
		
			 2006 9 6 15 
			 2007 6 3 9 
			 2008 11 6 17 
			 2009 22 15 37 
			 2010 34 22 56 
			 Total 82 52 134

Tourism

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to establish an interpretation centre for foreign visitors at the site of the River Bann massacre in Portadown.

Angela Smith: The Northern Ireland Tourist Board has received no correspondence and has no plans in relation to this venture.
	The board has focused its resources on delivery of the five Signature Projects in the Strategic Framework for Action 200407.

Valuation and Lands Agency

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will place in the Library the internal guidance (a) manual and (b) methodology to be used for the forthcoming domestic rates revaluation in Northern Ireland.

Angela Smith: The majority of capital valuations are produced using the computer-assisted mass appraisal approach. Copies of the current internal working documents and guidance being used for the valuation of the remaining properties have been placed in the Library.

Valuation and Lands Agency

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will place in the Library the instructions and advice documents prepared by the Valuation and Lands Agency for the Northern Ireland domestic rates revaluation and introduction of discrete capital values.

Angela Smith: I will arrange for copies of the guidance and instructions to be placed in the Library when they are available in April 2006.

Valuation and Lands Agency

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether the Valuation and Lands Agency plans to use contractors for the domestic rates revaluation in Northern Ireland.

Angela Smith: At present the Agency are considering the limited use of private sector contract staff to assist with the review of computer generated values in a small number of areas around Belfast.

Women Executives

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate he has made of the number of women in senior board positions in businesses in Northern Ireland in each of the last 10 years.

David Hanson: It is not possible to provide information on the number of women in senior board positions in businesses in NI. However, estimates of the number of females in employment classified as 'Managers and Senior Officials' are available from the NI Labour Force Survey. The following table shows the estimated number of female 'Managers and Senior Officials' in each summer (June-August) quarter since 1996.
	
		Females in employment classified as 'Managers and Senior Officials' (19962005)
		
			 Period Female Managers and Senior Officials(36) 
		
		
			 Summer  
			 1996 24,000 
			 1997 28,000 
			 1998 28,000 
			 1999 25,000 
			 2000 25,000 
			 2001 27,000 
			 2002 25,000 
			 2003 26,000 
			 2004 25,000 
			 2005 30,000 
		
	
	(36) The estimates up to and including summer 2000 were based on a previous occupational coding and refer to female 'Managers and Administrators'.
	Source:
	NI Labour Force Survey

Work Force

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the total estimated work force was in Northern Ireland in each of the last 10 years.

David Hanson: Estimates of the number of work force jobs at June each year in Northern Ireland for the period 1996 to 2005 can be found in the following table.
	
		Work force jobs(37)(5508440038) in Northern Ireland
		
			 June of each year Number 
		
		
			 1996 692,300 
			 1997 712,500 
			 1998 720,300 
			 1999 731,100 
			 2000 749,400 
			 2001 763,100 
			 2002 771,100 
			 2003 790,100 
			 2004 794,900 
			 2005 808,600 
		
	
	(37) This includes employee jobs, self-employment jobs and Government-supported trainees.
	(38) Figures are rounded to the nearest 100.
	Source:
	DETI

HEALTH

Alzheimer's Disease

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions she has had with the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence about drug treatment for Alzheimer's disease; and if she will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 21 November 2005
	I received an update on the progress of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE's) appraisal of drugs for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease during a meeting with the NICE'S chair and chief executive on 9 June 2005.

Alzheimer's Disease

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what opportunity cost analysis she has evaluated comparing the daily cost of proven drugs for Alzheimer sufferers with the cost of full-time caring if the drugs are unavailable.

Jane Kennedy: No such analysis has been undertaken by the Department. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) is currently reviewing its guidance on the clinical and cost effectiveness of drugs for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer's Disease

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions she has had with the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence regarding the (a) clinical effectiveness and (b) cost effectiveness of treatments for Alzheimer's; when meetings were held; what conclusions were drawn (i) from and (ii) following the discussions; and if she will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 10 November 2005
	Ministers received an update on the progress of the National Institute for Health Clinical Excellence's (NICE'S) work to review its appraisal of drugs for Alzheimer's disease during the course of routine discussions on 2 March 2005, with the NICE chief executive, and 9 June 2005, with the NICE chairman and chief executive.
	The Department responded on 22 March 2005 to NICE'S appraisal consultation document, 'Donepezil, Rivastigmine, Glanatamine and Memantine for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease'. A copy of that response was published on and is still available from the Department's website at www.dh.gov.uk. A copy is available in the Library.

Breast Cancer

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she expects Herceptin will be available to patients in England for the treatment of each stage of breast cancer.

Jane Kennedy: Herceptin is already licensed throughout the European Community for the treatment of certain categories of advanced or late-stage breast cancer. In accordance with the press release made by the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) on the 22 September 2005, we anticipate that the company will be applying for an extended licence for the treatment of early-stage breast cancer and that this new use may then be approved throughout the European Community by July 2006, assuming that data in support of the quality, safety and efficacy for the intended use are satisfactory.

Breast Cancer

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she expects the use of Herceptin will be approved for the treatment of early stage breast cancer.

Jane Kennedy: In accordance with the press release made on the 22 September 2005 by the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) and if the Roche company are able to make their formal application to the EMEA together with their new clinical trial data by early next year then, assuming the scientific experts issue a positive opinion, it could be licensed for treatment of early-stage breast cancer throughout the Community by July 2006.

Breast Cancer

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how long she expects the European Medicines Evaluation Agency will take to approve Herceptin for the early stage treatment of breast cancer.

Jane Kennedy: In accordance with the press release made on 22 September 2005, the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) anticipated that Roche planned to submit an application for Herceptin in the beginning of 2006. The statement further indicated that similar types of submissions in important oncology indications in the past have been dealt with by the EMEA in an expedited review within two to three months.

Breast Cancer

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what date Herceptin was submitted to the European Medicines Evaluation Agency for formal market authorisation to treat early stage breast cancer.

Jane Kennedy: A formal application and new clinical data for Herceptin in the treatment of early stage breast cancer has not yet been submitted to the European Medicines Evaluation Agency for authorisation. We anticipate that the formal application will be early next year when the company have completed their analysis of all of the new clinical trial data.

Breast Cancer

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she is taking to ensure the rapid approval of Herceptin for early stage breast cancer.

Jane Kennedy: I have asked the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency to do everything possible to ensure that formal applications from the company are evaluated and determined as rapidly and efficiently as possible while ensuring appropriate standards of safety, quality and efficacy are maintained by the European Medicines Evaluation Agency, the scientific experts and the European Commission.

Breast Cancer

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make additional funding immediately available to primary care trusts to fund the prescription of Herceptin for advanced stage breast cancer sufferers who have already been diagnosed as likely to benefit from the drug.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 17 October 2005
	Herceptin for the treatment of advanced breast cancer was approved by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) in March 2002 and should already be available to all women who might benefit from it.
	Funding to meet recommendations of NICE has been included in the allocations made to primary care trusts (PCTs) for the period 200304 to 200506. This funding is not separately identified. The total of PCT allocations is 45 billion for 200304, 49.3 billion for 200405 and 53.9 billion for 200506. This represents an increase of 12.7 billion or an average of 30.8 percent., over the three years 200304 to 200506.

Breast Cancer

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the availability of Herceptin on prescription throughout the NHS.

Jane Kennedy: Data on the availability of Herceptin on prescription throughout the national health service is not collected centrally. However, in 2004 Professor Mike Richards, the National Cancer Director, published a report which examined the usage of certain cancer drugs across the country, including Herceptin. An update of Professor Richard's report will be published next year and will provide a picture of Herceptin prescribing in the first half of 2005.
	Herceptin is already licensed and available on the NHS for woman diagnosed with advanced breast cancer. It is not yet licensed for women with early breast cancer but, as with other unlicensed drugs, can be used in some cases.

Cheshire and Merseyside Strategic Health Authority

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people worked in the Cheshire and Merseyside strategic health authority, including Southport and Ormskirk hospital trust; and what the staff costs were (a) in October and (b) at its inception.

Liam Byrne: The information requested on staff costs is not held centrally. Information on all national health service staff by selected group, for Cheshire and Merseyside strategic health authority by organisation, as at 30 September 2002 and 30 September 2004 has been placed in the Library.

Commercial Confidentiality

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what basis she exercises her discretion to release information covered by commercial confidentiality for reasons of public accountability; and if she will list the occasions on which she has exercised this discretion in each of the last five years.

Jane Kennedy: In considering any decision to disclose confidential information the commercial sensitivity of that information is assessed on a case by case basis at the time the request for disclosure is made, against the criteria set out in the Freedom of Information Act (2000). The Freedom of Information Act 2000 became effective on 1 January 2005.
	The information requested on the release of such information is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Staff

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the 10 highest-paid employees in her Department; what the (a) job title and (b) salary including bonuses is of each; and whether the individual concerned is (i) a civil servant and (ii) a contractor in each case.

Jane Kennedy: The information requested is shown in the following table.
	
		The 10 highest paid staff within the Department by salary, including bonuses.
		
			 000 
			 Job title Status Total salary including bonus 
		
		
			 Director General of NHS IT(39) Civil Servant 280285 
			 Permanent Secretary Civil Servant 225230 
			 Commercial Director(39) Fixed Term Appointment 220225 
			 Group Director of Health and Social Care Services Delivery and Department of Health Board Member Civil Servant 190195 
			 Chief Medical Officer Civil Servant 180185 
			 Director of Programmes and Performance Civil Servant 170175 
			 Director of Strategy Civil Servant 150155 
			 Director of Access Civil Servant 145150 
			 Director of Health Partnerships Civil Servant 145150 
			 Project LeadWhite Paper Civil Servant 140145 
		
	
	(39) These staff are rewarded above the standard level for the pay band due to the fact they have scarce skills that attract premium rates of pay.
	Notes:
	1. Information on civil service reward, including colleagues at senior levels, is available on its website at:www.civilservice.gov.uk/index.asp
	2. Information on the Department's resource accounts for 200405 is available on its website at: www.dh.gov.uk/PublicationsAndStatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidanceArticle/fs/en?CONTENT_ID=4123393chk=sqhBec

Diabetes

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what long-term safety and efficacy data the Department makes available on insulin analogues;
	(2)  what research she has evaluated on the clinical effects of the use of insulin analogues by insulin-requiring diabetes patients;
	(3)  what assessment has been made of the safety of NovoRapid for use in children; and what assessment she has made of the post-marketing data available in this respect.

Jane Kennedy: All new drugs applications, including insulins such as Novorapid are evaluated by the commission on human medicines (CHM), formerly the committee on safety of medicines (CSM) which advises the Licensing Authority as to whether a marketing authorisation should be granted. The applicant includes, in their submission, results of clinical trials conducted in the proposed indication for which the licence is sought. The first marketing authorisation for the recombinant human insulin was granted to NovoNordisk on 9 June 1982. This application was considered by the expert biologicals sub-committee of the CSM, in March 1982 and subsequently by the main committee. The application for a new drug substance such as recombinant human insulin would have been scientifically and medically reviewed to ensure it satisfied the criteria for safety, quality and efficacy. Medicinal products, including human or animal insulin, will not be granted a marketing authorisation unless supporting data have been provided to demonstrate that the quality, safety and efficacy are satisfactory for the intended use. The type of clinical development programme, clinical trial data, that should support the registration of new medicinal products for the indication treatment of diabetes mellitus is detailed in European guidance documents, for example, notes for guidance on clinical investigation of medicinal products in the treatment of diabetes mellitus. CPMP/EWP/1080/00. These are read in conjunction with other pertinent European and International (ICH) clinical guidelines. The marketing authorisation applications are evaluated by the CSM before they are granted.
	Data from clinical trials submitted at the time of licensing examined the safety and efficacy of the human insulin analogues (insulin glargine, insulin aspart, insulin detemir, insulin lispro and insulin gluisine) in diabetic patients treated for up to 12 months. A summary of the available data submitted in support of the licence applications for many of the insulin analogues is made publicly available in the form of a European Public Assessment Report.
	The longer term safety of the use of human insulin analogues in routine clinical practice is monitored by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). Any possible new safety issue to emerge is evaluated and, if necessary, product information for prescribers and patients is updated to reflect the new data.
	As with all medicines, reports of suspected adverse drug reactions (ADRs) to insulin analogues are collected by MHRA and CHM through the spontaneous reporting scheme, the Yellow Card scheme. A summary of the ADRs that have been received in association with a medicine, including insulin analogues, is available on the MHRA's website.

East Lancashire NHS Trust

Kitty Ussher: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the expenditure of East Lancashire NHS Trust on NHS services was in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Liam Byrne: The information is not available in the format requested. However, information relating to the total operating expenses is shown in the table.
	
		Total operating expenses of the East Lancashire national health service trust and its predecessor trusts
		
			  NHS trust Expenditure (000) 
		
		
			 200001 Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley NHS Trust 101,488 
			  Burnley Healthcare NHS Trust 113,521 
			
			 200102 Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley NHS Trust 114,282 
			  Burnley Healthcare NHS Trust 125,506 
			
			 200203 Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley NHS Trust 116,154 
			  Burnley Healthcare NHS Trust 103,577 
			
			 200304 East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust 231,430 
			
			 200405 East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust 255,313 
		
	
	Sources:
	1. Audited summarisation schedules of the Burnley Healthcare NHS Trust and Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley NHS Trust 200001 to 200203.
	2. Audited summarisation schedules of the East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust 200304 and 200405.

Free Prescriptions

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have been prosecuted under the Health Act 1999 for wrongful claims of free prescriptions in London in each year since 2000.

Jane Kennedy: Since August 2001, a penalty charge system has been in place in respect of those falsely claiming exemption to national health service pharmaceutical charges. Since its introduction in August 2001, 160,000 penalty notices have been issued. The total amount recovered to date is 2,950,000. These figures are national and are not broken down into regions as requested. This is done through the civil courts as criminal prosecution of offenders would not be a cost-effective way of dealing with such high volume but low-value frauds.

Health Finance (Manchester)

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which (a) primary care trusts, (b) health trusts and (c) acute trusts have overspent their budget in Greater Manchester in each of the last five years; and what the overspend was in each case.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 14 November 2005
	The position reported in the 200405 final accounts showed that the Greater Manchester strategic health authority (SHA) reported a surplus of 30 million. The latest financial year for which the audited financial information of all national health service organisations, SHAs, primary care trusts (PCTs) and NHS trusts, is available is 200405. For 200607, PCT allocations within the Greater Manchester SHA area total 3,602,273. For 200708, the total is 3,940,609. This represents a cash increase of 338,336 since 200607. The total cash increase over the two years200607 and 200708is 661,727.
	Those NHS trusts that overspent in the Greater Manchester area for 200001 to 200405 are shown in the table. No PCTs in Greater Manchester have recorded an overspend against their revenue resource limit in this period.
	
		Deficits by NHS trusts in Greater Manchester SHA from 200001 to 200405
		
			 Trust type Trust name (Deficit) 000 Financial year 
		
		
			 Ambulance Greater Manchester Ambulance NHS Trust (109) 200001 
			 Health Wigan and Leigh Health Services NHS Trust (84) 200001 
			 Acute South Manchester University Hospital NHS Trust (6,980) 200203 
			 Acute Trafford Healthcare NHS Trust (744) 200304 
			 Acute Cental Manchester/Manchester Children's NHS Trust (7,727) 200405 
			 Acute Trafford Healthcare NHS Trust (3,490) 200405 
			 Acute Bolton Hospitals NHS Trust (2,706) 200405 
			 Acute Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Trust (743) 200405 
		
	
	The 200405 data is available in the Library. It is also available on the Department's website at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/PublicationsAndStatistics/FreedomOfInformation/ClassesOfInformation/fs/en.

Herbal Medicines Directive

David Tredinnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she is taking to address the concerns of small and medium-sized manufacturers about the cost of registering products under the Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directive.

Jane Kennedy: We are using the full transitional period, until 2011, permitted under European Directive 2004/24/EC to allow companies with unlicensed herbal medicines on the market at April 2004 the opportunity to spread over a number of years their applications to register products. Measures taken by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to contain the regulatory impact of the directive include meetings with individual companies to give regulatory advice free of charge on companies' provisional plans to register products; also the provision of guidance notes on a range of implementation issues. Discussions continue between the MHRA and the industry's herbal forum about the practical application of the European guidelines on the quality of herbal medicinal products.

Human Embryo Research

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the cures for diseases which have been developed as a result of human embryo research in each of the last 12 years; and if she will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: Embryo research has been vital in the development of treatment techniques for infertility, resulting in improved outcomes for patients. For treatments such as in vitro fertilisation (IVF), the United Kingdom's live birth rate per treatment cycle started has increased year on year.
	Research with embryonic stem cells has been licensed to allow scientists to understand and develop treatments for conditions such as motor neuron disease, diabetes and cystic fibrosis. It is still too early to speak of cures, but scientific and medical opinion is that stem cell research will revolutionise medicine in the 21st century.

Independent Treatment Centres

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 5 October 2005, Official Report, column 2827W, on independent sector treatment centres, whether doctors working in independent sector treatment centres carrying out work equal to a consultant in the NHS are required to be on the GMC specialist register.

Liam Byrne: Yes. All surgeons working in independent sector treatment centres are required to be registered with the General Medical Council and on the specialist register. This is the same registration standard as required in the national health service.

Internet Medicine Purchases

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she is taking to increase (a) men's and (b) women's awareness of possible risks of buying prescription-only medicines on the internet.

Jane Kennedy: The Medicines and Healthcare product Regulatory Agency (MHRA) issued a general press release on 9 June to national print and broadcast media, ethnic press and trade publications, alerting people that some websites offering medicinal drugs belong to unscrupulous vendors. It mentioned that many of these vendors sell unlicensed and prescription-only medicines, and some sell counterfeit drugs that are harmful. This information was then targeted to specific segments of the population to assist consumers to make informed decisions about their health.
	On 16 June, MHRA issued a press release to men's lifestyle magazines, warning them about buying lifestyle drugs such as erectile dysfunction medication, weight and hair loss products from the internet. This was followed on 27 June with the further release of two press releases. One was again targeted at men's lifestyle magazines, warning men to be careful when buying human growth hormone products from websites. The second was targeted at women's lifestyle magazines, warning women about purchasing slimming pills from the internet.
	Since 9 June, the MHRA press office had 38 calls from the media about these issues and organised nine briefings with specific journalists.
	In addition, details of successful prosecutions brought by the enforcement group of the MHRA are made available by press releases which serve to reinforce the message that buying medicines via the internet can be dangerous.

Mental Health

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the forecast year-end deficit of Oxfordshire MentalHealth NHS Trust is in 200506; and what the year-end position of the trust has been in each year since 199798.

Caroline Flint: The Department does not currently publish unaudited information relating to the in-year financial position of national health service organisations. The following table shows the audited year-end financial position of Oxfordshire Mental Health Trust from 199798 to 200405.
	
		Organisation: Oxfordshire Mental Healthcare NHS Trust -- 000
		
			  Over/(under) spend 
		
		
			 199798 (3,311) 
			 199899 (1,855) 
			 19992000 (2,153) 
			 200001 7,343 
			 200102 8 
			 200203 1 
			 200304 2 
			 200405 2

Patient Safety

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will develop a single entry point for the reporting of patient safety incidents through the National Programme for Information Technology.

Jane Kennedy: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 23 November 2005, Official Report, column 2118W.

PCT Commissioning (Oxfordshire)

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions there were between her Department and the Thames Valley strategic health authority on the subject of putting primary care trust commissioning in Oxfordshire out to tender prior to its announcement.

Caroline Flint: holding answer Monday 28 November 2005
	Discussions were held at official level with Thames Valley strategic health authority (SHA) regarding their proposals prior to their submissions.
	We wanted SHAs, in partnership with local stakeholders, to identify various options for the reconfiguration of locally, which would then be assessed by the external panel against the criteria in Commissioning a Patient-led NHS. If the proposals are adjudged to meet these, they will be subject to full public consultation.
	I regret that my previous response on this matter, to question 26170, on 14 November 2005, Official Report, column 971W, was incorrect.

Plagiocephaly

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if she will require all primary care trusts to offer treatment for plagiocephaly; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  if she will make a statement on the treatment of plagiocephaly.

Liam Byrne: There is a difference between positional plagiocephaly, where flattening of the skull is caused by pressure from the surface on which a baby is customarily laid and craniosynostosis, where the cranial sutures have closed prematurely. In the latter case, surgery may well be necessary to prevent future health problems. The national service framework for children, young people and maternity services sets out standards to ensure that primary care trusts (PCTs) base decisions about treatments on the best evidence available to them. Treatment for plagiocephaly is available should doctors and PCTs consider it necessary.

Prescriptions

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many pre-payment certificates for prescriptions have been issued in Gravesham in each of the last 12 months.

Jane Kennedy: Information on the number of pre-payment certificates (PPCs) issued for Gravesham is not separately identifiable. However, the number of PPCs issued for England, by month for each of the last 12 months is as follows:
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 November 2004 93,823 
			 December 2004 77,050 
			 January 2005 95,299 
			 February 2005 91,868 
			 March 2005 127,400 
			 April 2005 84,821 
			 May 2005 90,624 
			 June 2005 97,744 
			 July 2005 88,624 
			 August 2005 92,221 
			 September 2005 93,500 
			 October 2005 92,922

Primary Care Trusts

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the projected spending from central Government funding was per head of the population for each primary care trust in England in 200405.

Liam Byrne: The information requested has been placed in the Library.

Primary Care Trusts

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent representations she has had from the local primary care trust in Gravesham; and on what subjects.

Caroline Flint: There have been no representations to the Department from the local primary care trust in Gravesham.

Private Sector NHS Treatment

Clive Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  whether guarantees have been given to private sectorproviders of health services regarding the proportion of NHS patient services that will be transferred to them;
	(2)  what discussions she has had with private sectorhealth providers regarding the transfer of NHS services;
	(3)  what guarantees private sector health providers have sought regarding the transfer of NHS services to enable them to secure financial backing for their businesses.

Liam Byrne: Patients will decide if they want to use an independent or national health service service.
	No guarantees have been given to private sector providers of health services regarding the proportion of NHS patient services that will be transferred to them.
	No discussions have taken place with private sector health providers regarding the transfer of NHS services, and no guarantees have been sought. Providers will have to bid against the terms laid down by the Department.

Public Service Agreements

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the time scales are for achievement of all aspects of 2004 public service agreement target number three.

Caroline Flint: The Department's public service agreement (PSA) targets and associated technical notes were agreed with HM Treasury as part of 2004 spending review and are published on the Department's website at www.dh.gov.uk. PSA technical notes contain the measurement details of the targets including what the specific time scales are for achievement of all aspects 2004 public service agreement target number three.

Recovery and Support Unit

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the role is of her Department's Recovery and Support Unit; and what information it collects.

Jane Kennedy: The recovery and support unit (RSU) is the team within the Department that works with strategic health authorities (SHA) on the performance of the national health service. SHAs are the local headquarters of the NHS and are responsible for the performance management of NHS trusts and primary care trusts. The RSU uses routine data collections from the NHS and in exceptional circumstances will make a specific request for data from SHAs on a specific issue.

Roaccutane

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what steps she (a) has taken and (b) is taking in response to the conclusion of the European-wide review of isotretinoin (Roaccutane) that (i) the psychiatric adverse events be kept under review and (ii) more frequent periodic safety update reports be produced than is usual for a product of Roaccutane's age;
	(2)  what research her Department has commissioned into the side effects of isotretinoin (Roaccutane); and what assessment she has made of the significance of (a) the Medical and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency review of paediatric data on isotretinoin and (b) the suicide of David Roberts while taking the drug.

Jane Kennedy: The European-wide review of isotretinoin was completed in October 2003. This review was led by the United Kingdom and resulted in the harmonisation of the product information for prescribers, summary of product characteristics, throughout Europe. The review also developed a set of important principles for nationally agreed pregnancy prevention programmes.
	Warnings about depression and suicide have been present in the product information for isotretinoin since 1997. Since the completion of the European review, the issue of psychiatric reactions associated with isotretinoin has been considered by an expert working group of the Committee on Safety of Medicines on two occasions in 2003 and 2005. The reviews by the expert group led to the product information being expanded to include warnings about the possibility of further psychiatric adverse reactions. During their review the expert group conducted a thorough assessment of all reports of suicidal behaviour received in association with isotretinoin. The patient information leaflet for isotretinoin currently includes extensive warnings about the potential psychiatric side effects associated with isotretinoin treatment.
	Following the European review, the marketing authorisation holders for isotretinoin are required to submit annual periodic safety update reports (PSURs), more frequently than the three-yearly PSURs required by legislation for a product of this age. These PSURs contain a summary of all information on safety from any data source in the period of the report.
	The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) Department's strategy on medicines for children was implemented in July 2004. As part of the strategy, the MHRA has been assessing clinical data in children for those medicines where such data are known to exist with a view to modifying the product information for these medicines where appropriate.
	For isotretinoin, clinical data concerning its use in children was known to exist, as isotretinoin was included in the United States of America Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) list of active ingredients for which paediatric exclusivity had been granted. This data was obtained, and the MHRA assessment report of them was considered by the paediatric medicines working group of the Committee on Safety of Medicines. The assessment report has been published on the MHRA website.
	The working group recommended that no changes to the product information for isotretinoin were necessary as a consequence of the review of this data. The group also recommended that the marketing authorisation holder should provide information regarding the adverse event reports received in children aged 13 to 17 years in future PSUR. These recommendations have been adopted by the MHRA.
	The MHRA continually monitors the safety of isotretinoin and any new data, including that generated by research will be carefully considered and independent expert advice sought from the Commission on Human Medicines, which has replaced the Committee on Safety of Medicines and the Medicines Commission as the Government's independent expert advisory committee. Similarly all reports of suicidal behaviour associated with isotretinoin are carefully reviewed as part of the ongoing review of psychiatric reactions associated with isotretinoin.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Absent Parents

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many payments by absent parents have been written off as irrecoverable in each year since 1997; what the (a) average and (b) upper decile value of such payments is; and how many payments are in the upper decile.

James Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive. He will write to the hon. Member.
	Letter from Stephen Geraghty, dated 28 November 2005
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many payments by absent parents have been written off as irrecoverable in each year since 1997; what the (a) average and (b) upper decile value of such payments is; and how many payments are in the upper decile.
	The Agency has no legislative power to write off debt, and current debt is now the cumulative total of 12 years. However for accounting purposes the Agency recognises that in some cases some debt is probably un-collectable (for example, where the non-resident parent is long-term unemployed, has gone abroad, or has died). The accounts are therefore adjusted accordingly.
	The cumulative total of probably un-collectable debt from 1997, as reported in the Agency's Annual Reports and Accounts, is summarised in the following table:
	
		
			  Amounts classed as probably un-collectable ( million) 
		
		
			 200405 1,984.400 
			 200304 2,004.847 
			 200203 1,965.340 
			 200102 1,915.312 
			 200001 1,692.380 
			 19992000 1,410.853 
			 199899 1,069.680 
			 199798 829.237 
			 199697 748.040 
		
	
	The amounts stated as probably un-collectable in the accounts are based on a statistically valid sample and do not relate to specific cases. Unfortunately the Agency does not hold information on the average and upper decile value of unpaid maintenance payments.
	I hope you find this information useful.

Asbestos

Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people (a) were diagnosed with and (b) died from asbestos-related illnesses in each county in England in each of the last five years.

James Plaskitt: The number of mesothelioma deaths and deaths with underlying cause of death specified as asbestosis in each county or unitary authority in England in each of the last five years for which data are available is given in the two tables.
	Lung cancer deaths caused by asbestos are clinically indistinguishable from those caused by other agents such as tobacco smoke and so cannot be tabulated directly. It is estimated that about the same number of lung cancer deaths due to asbestos occur each year as mesothelioma deaths.
	Statistics on the number of diagnoses of asbestos-related diseases are not readily available. However, in the case of mesothelioma, annual numbers of deaths give a good indication of the number of diagnosed cases since the disease is almost always rapidly fatal following diagnosis.
	
		Table 1: Mesothelioma deaths in England by county and unitary authority, 19992003
		
			  1999 2000 2001 2002(40) 2003(40) 
		
		
			 North East  
			 Darlington UA 3 3 4 4 4 
			 Hartlepool UA 7 6 9 3 5 
			 Middlesbrough UA 3 5 4 4 5 
			 Redcar and Cleveland UA 3 4 6 6 8 
			 Stockton-On-Tees UA 8 6 15 12 6 
			 Durham 13 15 12 14 10 
			 Northumberland 11 8 11 14 8 
			 Tyne and Wear (Met County) 71 76 93 70 66 
			   
			 North West  
			 Blackburn with Darwen UA 3 2 4 4  
			 Blackpool UA 5 6 6 8 3 
			 Halton UA  5 10 8 6 
			 Warrington UA 5 3 1 6 5 
			 Cheshire 21 29 29 37 30 
			 Cumbria 23 21 26 27 29 
			 Greater Manchester (Met County) 71 47 66 55 73 
			 Lancashire 26 30 49 31 39 
			 Merseyside (Met County) 46 55 57 58 44 
			   
			 Yorkshire and the Humber  
			 East Riding Of Yorkshire UA 11 5 8 7 14 
			 Kingston Upon Hull, City Of UA 8 7 9 7 8 
			 North East Lincolnshire UA 6 7 4 2 4 
			 North Lincolnshire UA 4 1 4 6 13 
			 York UA 11 6 9 5 5 
			 North Yorkshire 10 14 12 25 19 
			 South Yorkshire (Met County) 34 31 35 37 40 
			 West Yorkshire (Met County) 69 65 86 79 80 
			   
			 East Midlands  
			 Derby UA 6 9 17 12 4 
			 Leicester UA 5  3 3 4 
			 Nottingham UA 6 6 8 13 8 
			 Rutland UA  1  2  
			 Derbyshire 24 15 18 21 19 
			 Leicestershire 12 16 12 10 10 
			 Lincolnshire 12 11 15 17 18 
			 Northamptonshire 16 15 20 19 17 
			 Nottinghamshire 16 22 22 20 28 
			   
			 West Midlands  
			 Herefordshire, County Of UA  3 5 4 6 
			 Stoke-On-Trent UA 8 7 2 4 4 
			 Telford And Wrekin UA 2 5 4 2  
			 Shropshire 3 5 3 8 5 
			 Staffordshire 14 22 28 24 25 
			 Warwickshire 11 16 9 11 13 
			 West Midlands (Met County) 53 61 53 60 69 
			 Worcestershire 8 13 6 17 11 
			   
			 East  
			 Luton UA 3 3 6 4 8 
			 Peterborough UA 3 4 7 7 6 
			 Southend-On-Sea UA 2 10 7 8 6 
			 Thurrock UA 3 5 10 7 9 
			 Bedfordshire 8 3 14 12 13 
			 Cambridgeshire 9 16 16 23 17 
			 Essex 51 48 44 55 66 
			 Hertfordshire 27 24 36 27 25 
			 Norfolk 24 26 17 42 35 
			 Suffolk 25 26 26 24 32 
			   
			 London  
			 Inner London 46 45 62 64 43 
			 Outer London 113 117 113 125 111 
			   
			 South East  
			 Bracknell Forest UA 3 4 3 3 8 
			 Brighton And Hove UA 6 4 8 4 7 
			 Isle Of Wight UA 7 7 14 9 11 
			 Medway UA 14 13 20 15 13 
			 Milton Keynes UA 5 5 5 6 1 
			 Portsmouth UA 16 5 12 9 12 
			 Reading UA 3 3 4 1 4 
			 Slough UA  1 3  3 
			 Southampton UA 16 13 11 11 12 
			 West Berkshire UA 3 5 4 7 4 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead UA 7 4 2 3 2 
			 Wokingham UA 2 6 6 5 3 
			 Buckinghamshire 11 11 12 10 8 
			 East Sussex 16 14 15 15 18 
			 Hampshire 50 45 66 60 65 
			 Kent 38 56 52 54 68 
			 Oxfordshire 16 17 9 9 15 
			 Surrey 31 36 35 31 35 
			 West Sussex 15 29 22 24 36 
			 South West  
			 Bath and North East Somerset UA 2 4 3 4 4 
			 Bournemouth UA 5 3 10 3 3 
			 Bristol, City Of UA 8 7 9 14 18 
			 North Somerset UA 6 5 9 10 5 
			 Plymouth UA 18 19 13 18 18 
			 Poole UA 7 4 6 4 5 
			 South Gloucestershire UA 9 7 5 11 7 
			 Swindon UA 8 5 10 3 8 
			 Torbay UA  7 7 6 4 
			 Cornwall and Isles Of Scilly 16 14 27 13 18 
			 Devon 35 23 22 33 33 
			 Dorset 19 10 14 11 19 
			 Gloucestershire 10 10 14 15 14 
			 Somerset 7 9 17 13 9 
			 Wiltshire 15 9 9 13 7 
		
	
	(40) Provisional.
	Source:
	HSE mesothelioma register
	
		Table 2: Deaths with asbestosis as underlying cause in England by county and unitary authority, 19992003
		
			  1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 
		
		
			 North East  
			 Darlington UA   1   
			 Hartlepool UA 3 1 2 2 1 
			 Middlesbrough UA1 1 
			 Redcar and Cleveland UA   1 1  
			 Stockton-On-Tees UA  2 1 1 1 
			 Durham   1   
			 Northumberland  1
			 Tyne and Wear (Met County) 7 9 8 15 16 
			   
			 North West  
			 Blackburn with Darwen UA1 1 
			 Blackpool UA 1 
			 Halton UA  1   1 
			 Warrington UA   1   
			 Cheshire 1 1 5 1 4 
			 Cumbria  1 1 3 1 
			 Greater Manchester (Met County)  2 3 1 6 
			 Lancashire 1 2   2 
			 Merseyside (Met County) 3 5 6 6 10 
			   
			 Yorkshire and the Humber  
			 East Riding of Yorkshire UA  1
			 Kingston Upon Hull, City Of UA  
			 North East Lincolnshire UA2  
			 North Lincolnshire UA  
			 York UA  
			 North Yorkshire  
			 South Yorkshire (Met County)  3 4  3 
			 West Yorkshire (Met County) 5  5 7 7 
			   
			 East Midlands  
			 Derby UA   1 1 1 
			 Leicester UA  
			 Nottingham UA 1 2  2  
			 Rutland UA  
			 Derbyshire1  
			 Leicestershire 1 
			 Lincolnshire  
			 Northamptonshire  1  1  
			 Nottinghamshire 1   2 3 
			 West Midlands  
			 Herefordshire, County Of UA  
			 Stoke-On-Trent UA  1
			 Telford And Wrekin UA  
			 Shropshire  
			 Staffordshire 2 1 2 2  
			 Warwickshire  
			 West Midlands (Met County) 2 4 2 1 3 
			 Worcestershire1  
			   
			 East  
			 Luton UA  
			 Peterborough UA  
			 Southend-On-Sea UA  
			 Thurrock UA  2
			 Bedfordshire1 1 
			 Cambridgeshire 1 
			 Essex 1 1  2 2 
			 Hertfordshire 1 
			 Norfolk  2  2 1 
			 Suffolk 1   1  
			   
			 London  
			 Inner London 6 1 4 5 4 
			 Outer London 5 4 7 8 3 
			   
			 South East  
			 Bracknell Forest UA 3 4 3 3 8 
			 Brighton and Hove UA 6 4 8 4 7 
			 Isle Of Wight UA 7 7 14 9 11 
			 Medway UA   3  2 
			 Milton Keynes UA 1  1 1  
			 Portsmouth UA3 1 
			 Reading UA  
			 Slough UA  
			 Southampton UA   1 1  
			 West Berkshire UA  
			 Windsor and Maidenhead UA   1   
			 Wokingham UA 1 
			 Buckinghamshire1 1 
			 East Sussex  1  2  
			 Hampshire   2 1  
			 Kent  1 1 2 1 
			 Oxfordshire 1 
			 Surrey 1 1   1 
			 West Sussex  1   1 
			   
			 South West  
			 Bath And North East Somerset UA 1   1  
			 Bournemouth UA  
			 Bristol, City of UA 1 1 1 3 1 
			 North Somerset UA 1 
			 Plymouth UA  2 2 6 7 
			 Poole UA  
			 South Gloucestershire UA 1 
			 Swindon UA 3 
			 Torbay UA 1 
			 Cornwall And Isles Of Scilly 1 4 2 1 2 
			 Devon   1 2 1 
			 Dorset1  
			 Gloucestershire 22 
			 Somerset  
			 Wiltshire  
		
	
	Source:
	HSE asbestosis register

Child Support Agency

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his latest estimate is of the average time taken to resolve complaints to the Child Support Agency for (a) old scheme cases and (b) new scheme cases.

James Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive. He will write to the hon. Member.
	Letter from Stephen Geraghty, dated 29 November 2005
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his latest estimate is of the average time taken to resolve complaints to the Child Support Agency for (a) old scheme cases and (b) new scheme cases.
	The Agency has an internal target to resolve 68% of client complaints or agree a resolution plan within 15 working days of receipt of a complaint from a Child Support Agency client. I cannot provide the average time taken to resolve complaints but year-to-date information on performance against this standard is set out in the table below.
	
		Percentage of CSA client complaints for which a resolution plan has been agreed within 15 days of the receipt of the complaint, by scheme, September 2005
		
			  Percentage 
		
		
			 Old scheme 91 
			 New scheme 87 
			 Overall 88 
		
	
	I hope you find this response helpful.

Child Support Agency

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his latest estimate is of the total cost to date of the set-up and running costs of the Enforcement Directorate.

James Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive. He will write to the hon. Member.
	Letter from Stephen Geraghty, dated 29 November 2005
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his latest estimate is of the total cost to date of the set-up and running costs of the Enforcement Directorate.
	The Enforcement Director was appointed on 1 November 2004 and the Directorate went live from 1 April 2005.
	The set up costs were approximately 100k and the running costs for the period 1 April 2005 to 31 October 2005 amount to approximately 6.6m which includes legal costs and bailiff charges. This does not include the staffing costs for the Belfast Enforcement Team.
	I hope you find this response helpful.

Child Support Agency

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average administration cost per case on (a) the new scheme and (b) the old scheme was in each of the last four years.

James Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive. He will write to the hon. Member.
	Letter from Stephen Geraghty, dated 29 November 2005
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average administration cost per case on (a) the new scheme and (b) the old scheme was in each of the last four years.
	Information is not currently available in the format requested. We expect information on administration costs for the Child Support Agency to be available after the Departments new Resource Management System is introduced in the Child Support Agency in 2006. In the meantime, the Agency does publish interim unit cost information in accordance with Public Service Agreement (PSA 9) which is contained in the Annual Report and Accounts.
	As the new child support scheme was only introduced from March 2003 only data from then to October 2005 would be available.

Child Support Agency

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his latest estimate is of the backlog of new claims held by the Child Support Agency.

James Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive. He will write to the hon. Member.
	Letter from Stephen Geraghty, dated 29 November 2005
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his latest estimate is of the backlog of new claims held by the Child Support Agency.
	The information requested can be found in Table 2 of the CSA Quarterly Statistical Supplement which was published on the Departments website on 27th October. A copy of this table is attached as an annex to this letter.
	I hope you find this useful.
	
		CSA Table 2: New application intake, clearances and work on hand -- Number and percentage
		
			  2005 
			 CSA intake and clearancesscheme to date January February March April May June July August September 
		
		
			 New Scheme  
			 Intake 557,000 582,000 608,000 632,000 657,000 682,000 708,000 731,000 755,000 
			   
			 Cases Cleared 298,000 318,000 342,000 366,000 393,000 419,000 444,000 466,000 494,000 
			   
			 Not progressed to calculation and schedule set up 155,000 166,000 180,000 195,000 213,000 229,000 245,000 258,000 276,000 
			 of which:  
			 Closed 129,000 138,000 150,000 163,000 180,000 195,000 208,000 220,000 236,000 
			 Good Cause 8,000 8,000 9,000 9,000 10,000 11,000 11,000 12,000 12,000 
			 Reduced Benefit Decision 5,000 6,000 6,000 7,000 7,000 7,000 8,000 8,000 9,000 
			 Other 13,000 14,000 15,000 15,000 16,000 17,000 18,000 19,000 19,000 
			   
			 Calculated and schedule set up 143,000 152,000 162,000 171,000 180,000 190,000 199,000 209,000 219,000 
			 of which:  
			 Subsequently closed 6,000 7,000 7,000 7,000 8,000 8,000 8,000 9,000 9,000 
			 Initially Nil Calculated 21,000 23,000 24,000 26,000 28,000 29,000 31,000 33,000 34,000 
			 Initially Maintenance Direct 10,000 12,000 13,000 15,000 16,000 18,000 19,000 21,000 23,000 
			 Initially Collection Service 105,000 111,000 117,000 123,000 129,000 135,000 141,000 146,000 153,000 
			 of which:  
			 One or more payments received 82,000 86,000 93,000 98,000 104,000 109,000 115,000 121,000 126,000 
			 Awaiting payment 24,000 25,000 25,000 25,000 25,000 25,000 26,000 26,000 26,000 
			   
			 Uncleared applications 259,000 264,000 266,000 266,000 265,000 263,000 263,000 264,000 261,000 
			 of which:  
			 Prior to calculation 236,000 241,000 242,000 242,000 240,000 238,000 238,000 238,000 234,000 
			 Calculated, awaiting schedule set up 23,000 24,000 24,000 24,000 25,000 25,000 26,000 26,000 27,000 
			   
			 Old Scheme  
			 Outstanding applications 103,000 92,000 87,000 86,000 82,000 78,000 76,000 75,000 73,000 
			   
			 Percentage cases for whom maintenance is due who have made one or more payments via collection service, or had an initial maintenance direct arrangement in place. 66 67 68 70 71 71 72 73 74 
			   
			 Percentage cases who have been charged via the collection service and for whom one or more payments received 77 78 79 80 81 81 82 82 83 
			   
			 Percentage of clearances which result in a initial calculation and schedule set up 48 48 47 47 46 45 45 45 44 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. A case is defined as cleared if a maintenance calculation has been carried out and a payment arrangement between the parent with care and the non resident parent is in place; a case has been identified as claiming Good Cause or is subject to a Reduced Benefit Decision; or the application is identified as being a change of circumstances on an existing case; or the case has been closed.
	2. Figures exclude new scheme cases which have been progressed and cleared clerically. This is because it is not possible to determine how many clerically progressed cases are still included in the Agency's work in progress, or were originally included in the intake figures.
	3. New scheme uncleared figures include cases transferred from Jobcentre Plus which are awaiting processing and input to the main CS2 computer system (some 81,000 cases). These figures may be subject to revision in future issues of these tables.
	4. Percentage cases for whom maintenance is due who have made one or more payments via collection service, or had an initial maintenance direct arrangement in place is arrived at by summing number of cases receiving payment via collection service or on maintenance direct and expressing as a percentage of sum of collection service cases, those on maintenance direct and those with a calculation and no charging schedule.
	5. Volumes are rounded to the nearest thousand, and percentages to nearest whole per cent.
	6. Robust data from the new IT system (CS2) covering the period March 2003-December 2004 is not currently available, and is under development.

Child Support Agency

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the average number of Child Support Agency staff who deal with each case brought to the agency by parents with care.

James Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	Letter from Stephen Geraghty, dated 29 November 2005
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the average number of Child Support Agency staff who deal with each case brought to the Agency by parents with care.
	I am unable to answer this question as we do not record information on the numbers of staff who deal with each case.

Child Support Agency

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the compliance rate for the self-employed in cases with the Child Support Agency.

James Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive. He will write to the hon. Member.
	Letter from Stephen Geraghty, dated 29 November 2005
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made for the compliance rate for the self-employed in cases with the Child Support Agency.
	In September 2005, the case compliance rate for collection service cases in which non-resident parent was classified as self-employed was 63%. This compares to an overall Agency case compliance rate of 70%.
	A case is defined as case compliant if it was open at the end of the reporting period, and had paid all or part of any maintenance that was due (either regular or arrears) via the collection service over the preceding quarter.
	Additionally, the Agency measures cash compliance, which is the total amount of maintenance received via the collection service over any three month period as a percentage of the total amount charged (both regular maintenance and arrears). In September 2005, the cash compliance rate for cases in which non resident parent was classified as self-employed was 60%. This compares to an overall Agency cash compliance rate of 68%.
	These figures for self-employed reflect the status of the non-resident parent currently held on the system as at the last intervention by the Agency. This will not necessarily reflect the current status of the non-resident parent if the Agency has not been informed of, or not yet actioned, a change of circumstances.
	I hope you find this helpful.

Child Support Agency

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what definition he uses of (a) full compliance and (b) partial compliance in Child Support Agency statistics; and whether the definition has changed in the last five years.

James Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	Letter from Stephen Geraghty, dated 29 November 2005
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what definition he uses of (a) full compliance and (b) partial compliance with the Child Support Agency and whether the definition for statistical purposes has changed in the last five
	A case is defined as compliant if maintenance was due via the collection service (either regular maintenance and/or arrears) in the preceding quarter, the case was open at the end of that quarter, and any payment was received during the period.
	A case is considered to be fully compliant if the amount of maintenance received over the reporting period is greater than or equal to the amount charged, and partially compliant if a maintenance payment is received that is less than the amount due.
	The above definitions, for statistical purposes, have not changed over the last five years.
	I hope you find this useful.

Child Support Agency

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  if he will break down the Child Support Agency's compliance figures by the income band of the non-resident parent for all Scottish claims;
	(2)  what proportion of Scottish claims under the Child Support Agency old scheme have been reassessed in the last three years;
	(3)  how many changes of circumstance have been reported by non-resident parents in Scotland on the (a) old and (b) new Child Support Agency scheme in each month of the last three years;
	(4)  what estimate he has made of the compliance rate for the self-employed in cases with the Child Support Agency in Scotland.

James Plaskitt: The information requested is not available.

Child Support Agency

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when Tina Smith, a constituent of the hon. Member for Sittingbourne and Sheppey, will receive the sum agreed to be owed to her by the Child Support Agency.

James Plaskitt: holding answer 24 November 2005
	The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive. He will write to the hon. Member.
	Letter from Mike Isaac, dated 29 November 2005
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive. I am replying on behalf of Stephen Geraghty as Director of Parliamentary Business.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when Tina Smith, a constituent of the honourable Member of Sittingbourne and Sheppey will receive the sum agreed as owed to her by the Child Support Agency.
	As details about individual cases are confidential I have written to you separately about this case.

Child Support Agency

Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on his plans for reform of the Child Support Agency.

James Plaskitt: The Child Support Agency's chief executive, Stephen Geraghty, is currently undertaking a root and branch review of the agency. He will report to Ministers and we will make announcements shortly.

Child Support Agency

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many workarounds are Child Support Agency staff currently having to use in order to process a child support application on the CS2 IT system.

James Plaskitt: There are procedural interventions or workarounds within the online procedures for many parts of the business process. But they are not relevant for all types of cases.
	In a typical case, a caseworker might encounter between one and four workarounds in progressing the case to first payment. This depends on its complexity and the extent to which it is linked to an existing case or cases.

Child Support Agency

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the cost of introducing a disregard of all Child Support Agency payments in assessing benefit entitlement; and if he will make a statement.

James Plaskitt: The estimated cost of disregarding all Child Support payments, including those not arranged through the Child Support Agency, in assessing benefit entitlement is 230 million. This includes a full disregard in income support, housing benefit and council tax benefit and is based upon the current number of benefit units who are in receipt of Child Support payments.

Council Tax

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when pensioners in Coventry, South will receive their financial support for council tax bills due for 2005.

Stephen Timms: The 200 payment to help with council tax bills is being issued with the winter fuel payment. Payments commenced in early November and will continue until Christmas. Eligible people who do not receive a winter fuel payment will need to claim and all claims must be received by 30 March 2006.

Housing Benefit

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the cost of administering the appeals system for housing benefit was in each year since 1997.

Anne McGuire: This is a matter for Christina Townsend, chief executive of the Appeals Service. She will write to the hon. Member.
	Letter from Christina Townsend to Mr. Paul Goodman dated 29 November 2005
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question regarding what the cost of administering the appeals system for Housing Benefit was in each year since 1997. As the Appeals Service only assumed responsibility for Housing Benefit appeals from July 2001, I am unable to supply figures prior to that date.
	As the cost of processing appeals does not vary significantly between the different types of appeals, our accounting records do not analyse our costs by different appeal type. The best indication I can, therefore, give of the cost of administering the appeals system for Housing Benefit, is by providing on a pro-rata basis the costs of the Appeals Service to the proportion of Housing Benefit appeals.
	On this basis, the calculated costs for administering Housing Benefit appeals since the above date are as follows;
	
		
			  Cost () 
		
		
			 200102 879,786 
			 200203 2,102,310 
			 200304 2,379,699 
		
	
	The rise in costs reflects the increase in the number of Housing Benefit appeals being handled by the Appeals Service, which has risen from 3,963 in 2001/2 to 9,793 in 2003/4.

Pension Service

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many calls made to the Pension Service (a) met an engaged tone, (b) were received and (c) were handled by an adviser during September, broken down by call centre; and what area is served by each call centre.

Stephen Timms: The administration of the Pension Service is a matter for the chief executive, Ms Alexis Cleveland. She will write to the hon. Member.
	Letter from Alexis Cleveland, dated 29 November 2005
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question concerning how many calls made to the Pension Service have (a) met an engaged tone (b) been received and (c) been handled by an adviser during September broken down by call centre; and if he will provide details of the area served by each call centre. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of The Pension Service.
	During September 2005, 1,036,547 calls were received by The Pension Service and 986,811 were answered by agents, equating to 95.2% of total calls received.
	Of these calls received only 3,138 (0.3%) were blocked (attempted calls receiving an engaged tone or message during this period).
	The table below shows the number of calls received, calls answered and calls blocked in September 2005 for all Regional Pension Centres and the Pension Credit Application Line and shows the area served by each call centre. In addition I am now also able to supply details for the other telephone lines offered by the Pension Service.
	You will see that almost all the blocked calls occurred in our International Pension Centre. The telephony system in this centre is being upgraded, and since September the number of lines available to customers has been increased.
	
		
			   Breakdown by pension centre Attempted calls receiving an engaged tone or message (a)  Received calls (b)  Calls answered (c)   Area served 
		
		
			 Bath 0 41,879 40,597 Avon, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Dorset, Somerset and S. Devon 
			 Birmingham 0 30,420 29,267 Birmingham, Warwickshire, Coventry and Staffordshire. 
			 Blackpool 0 18,813 17,854 Shropshire, parts of Surrey, Brighton and Eastbourne 
			 Burnley 0 26,850 25,416 North Lancashire, Cumbria and parts of Essex (incl. Colchester and Southend) 
			 Cwmbran 5 29,870 28,532 Worthing, Hampshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Berkshire and parts of Surrey 
			 Dearne Valley 0 37,229 36,241 West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire and Nottingham 
			 Dundee 0 46,367 45,241 East of Scotland and Scottish Highlands. Humberside and East Yorkshire. 
			 Leicester 0 22,330 21,032 Lincolnshire, Leicestershire and Northamptonshire and parts of Derbyshire 
			 London Pension Centre (Glasgow) 0 22,946 21,579 Inner city London (incl. Harrow, Ealing and Hackney) 
			 London Pension Centre (Newcastle) 0 50,840 47,937 London (incl. Tottenham, Ilford, Fulham, Romford) and parts of Surrey 
			 Motherwell 0 41,578 39,649 West of Scotland and Kent. 
			 Norwich Baltic 0 13,215 12,601 Norwich. 
			 Norwich Kingfisher 0 8,783 8,346 Parts of Essex including Basildon and Harlow. 
			 Pension Credit Application Line 0 107,418 102,101 National 
			 Seaham 0 31,113 29,846 Tyne and Wear, Bradford. 
			 Stockport 0 44,456 40,901 Manchester, Fylde Coast, Cheshire, and parts of Derbyshire 
			 Stockton 0 18,101 17,448 Teeside, Durham, Northumberland. Grimsby. 
			 Swansea 0 48,029 45,141 Wales, Cornwall and N. Devon 
			 Walsall 0 21,660 20,284 Walsall and Wolverhampton. Herefordshire and Worcestershire 
			 Warrington 0 37,234 35,262 Merseyside, Wigan, Suffolk, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire. 
			 International Pension Centre 3,131 45,606 41,950 International (Customers living outside GB) 
			 Retirement Pension Tele Claims 0 39,367 37,656 National 
			 Pensions Direct 1 72,961 72,186 National 
			 Pensioners Information Order line 0 7,958 7,182 National 
			 Pensioners Guide Order line 0 8,243 7,180 National 
			 Deficiency Notices Helpline 0 20,577 19,433 National 
			 RP Forecasting Team 1 106,888 100,529 National 
			 Winter Fuel Helpline 0 35,816 35,420 National 
			 Total 3138 1,036,547 986,811  
		
	
	I hope this information is helpful.

Welfare Reform/Incapacity Benefit

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to his oral statement on welfare reform and incapacity benefit of 22 November 2005, Official Report, column 1417, where and when the hon. Member for Sutton and Cheam made the remarks to which he refers.

John Hutton: My recollection was that the hon. Member made the remarks during the Health Question Time session in which he and I participated, at the Royal College of Nursing Congress on 25 April 2005.
	On checking the record of that debate, I accept that the hon. Member referred to the retirement age of existing members of public sector pension schemes.

Winter Fuel Allowance

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether the 200 one-off payment this winter with the winter fuel allowance will be (a) means-tested and (b) paid to pensioners receiving 100 per cent. council tax benefit.

Stephen Timms: The 200 payment is intended to assist older people who pay at least part of their council taxthat is, people who do not qualify for 100 per cent. council tax benefit. It is paid to eligible people who are not receiving the guarantee credit element of pension credit. It is a tax free lump sum payment that will not affect any state pension or benefit a person may get including council tax benefit, housing benefit and pension credit.
	People in receipt of the guarantee credit element of pension credit, who are entitled to the maximum help available through council tax benefit, are not entitled to the 200 payment.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Alcohol Sales

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on progress in working with alcohol retailers and producers to agree and implement minimum standards for socially responsible promotion and retailing of alcohol products.

Paul Goggins: We are taking forward a comprehensive alcohol harm reduction programme that will tackle a range of alcohol harms, including crime, and is being implemented across government. As part of this, we have been working closely with the alcohol industry to develop a principles and standards document that will help retailers and producers to prevent sales to under-age children and drunks, put an end to irresponsible drinks promotions and put in place end of evening dispersal policies to help drinkers get home safely and quickly.
	The document was published on 18 November, and we will continue to work with the industry to ensure rapid implementation.

Antisocial Behaviour

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to tackle antisocial behaviour in Bexhill-on-Sea.

Hazel Blears: Dealing with antisocial behaviour is a priority for the Safer Rother Partnership; the partnership was the first Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership (CDRP) in the area to recruit a dedicated worker to support young people who are at risk of an antisocial behavioural order (ASBO) or acceptable behaviour contract (ABC) and those who have an ASBO or ABC to reduce the incidence of breaches. This worker works with all the agencies through a specific Joint Information Sharing Group that meets on a monthly basis to identify young people at risk of or involved in antisocial behaviour and/or criminal activity. This group identifies and carries out multi-agency work and diversionary interventions. Six ABCs and six ASBOs have been issued in Bexhill to date.
	In addition, there have been joint operations with Sussex police and Trading Standards to reduce the supply and availability of alcohol to young people within the Bexhill area. This operation successfully reduced violent crime by 24 per cent. over the summer and is now operating over the Christmas and new year period.
	Three dispersal orders have operated across Bexhill over the last year which have been well received by local residents and businesses and reduced ASB in that area.

Antisocial Behaviour

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many antisocial behaviour orders have been issued to citizens living in Bexhill-on-Sea.

Hazel Blears: Data on antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOs) are not available below local authority area (LAA) level. A table is available on the crime reduction website at www.crimereduction.gov.uk giving the number of ASBOs issued in England and Wales where restrictions have been imposed in LAAs.

Appeals (Foreign Evidence)

Brian Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reasons evidence obtained in another EU country and used to convict a person in a British court cannot be re-examined on appeal.

Fiona Mactaggart: We are not aware of any rule to this effect. Restrictions on the use of evidence obtained abroad are found in section 9 of the Crime (International Co-operation) Act 2003. Section 9(2) says that evidence can be used only for the purposes for which it was obtained. A request should normally ask for evidence to be used for investigation, trial and any subsequent judicial proceedings (including of course an appeal). If that is done then the evidence can be used for the appeal. It is conceivable that a deficient letter of request might mention only the initial trial, in which case it might be insufficient to allow for the evidence to be used at an appeal. If this occurred, it could be rectified by sending a second letter or request for the purposes of the appeal.
	Section 9(3) requires that the evidence be returned once it is no longer required. If evidence has been returned, or if it consisted of live witnesses, then a further letter of request may again be necessary for the purposes of the appeal.

Asylum Seekers

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people arrived in the UK and claimed asylum in each quarter since 1 January; and how many of the initial decisions on the applications were (a) refused asylum, (b) granted asylum, (c) granted humanitarian protection and (d) granted discretionary leave to remain.

Tony McNulty: There were 7,015 asylum applications (excluding dependants) in Q1 2005, 6,220 in Q2 and 6,315 in Q3. Information on initial decisions on these applications is unavailable and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	However, initial decisions on asylum applications and their outcomes made in the first three quarters of 2005 are available in the Q3 2005 Asylum Bulletin published on 22 November 2005 on the Home Office research development and statistics directorate website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1 .html.

Asylum Seekers

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on his policy on deportations of failed asylum-seekers to Zimbabwe.

Tony McNulty: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 8 November 2005, Official Report, column 353W to the hon. Member for Wantage (Mr. Vaizey).

Aviation Security

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) males and (b) females have been (i) charged with and (ii) convicted of offences under sections (A) 21A, (B) 21B, (C) 21C, (D) 21D and (E) 21E of the Aviation Security Act 1982 in each year since 1993.

Fiona Mactaggart: Statistics on the number of persons charged with a crime are not centrally collected.
	Data collected on the Home Office Court Proceedings database for offences under these sections of the Aviation Act 1982 form part of a miscellaneous group, which cannot be separately identified.

Basic Command Units

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for theHome Department which local authority wards arewithin each basic command unit in England and Wales.

Hazel Blears: In 2004 the research, development and statistics department (RDS) at the Home Office compiled a table detailing which local authority wards comprised each basic command unit in England and Wales. The majority of this information is still accurate and is available in the Library. Basic command unit and Ward boundaries are subject to change and in the absence of any current requirement for such data this table has not been updated. Any such updating could be undertaken only at disproportionate cost.

Bruche Police Training Centre

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to ensure that local people are involved in any decision on the future of the former police training centre at Bruche.

Hazel Blears: It is not yet possible to begin consultations with the local community because we do not yet know what options for use of the site might emerge for discussion. This will depend largely on who takes an interest in purchasing the site after it closes in May 2006.
	Once this becomes clearer, we are very keen to work closely with Centrex to ensure an effective and early dialogue with local people over the future use of the sites at Bruche, Cwmbran and Ashford. Of course, any change in the use of sites will require planning permission and local authorities will need to involve local people in consultation over their decisions on any application. We would certainly welcome the involvement in all such discussions and consultations of the hon. Members representing communities affected by closure of Centrex sites.

Child Deaths (Prisons)

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many child deaths there have been in penal custody in each year since 1997.

Fiona Mactaggart: The information requested is given in the table:
	
		Deaths of young people under 18 in penal custody
		
			  Number of deaths 
		
		
			 1997 0 
			 1998 3 
			 1999 2 
			 2000 3 
			 2001 3 
			 2002 2 
			 2003 0 
			 2004 2 
			 2005 2 
			 Total 17

Child Pornography

Judy Mallaber: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  if he will list the (a) internet service providers and (b) mobile phone companies who are using their technology to block access to child pornography websites;
	(2)  what action his Department is taking to encourage (a) internet service providers and (b) mobile phone companies to block customers' access to child pornography websites following the Prime Minister's statement of 21 July 2004, Official Report, column 327.

Paul Goggins: We are working closely with the UK Internet Service Provider (ISP) industry, mobile operators and the Internet Watch Foundation as they pioneer solutions that will block their customers' requests to access websites that include child abuse images. On 6 September, the DTI Minister with responsibility for e-commerce, my right hon. Friend the Member for Cardiff, South and Penarth (Alun Michael), and I had a meeting with CEOs, or their representatives, from all the large ISPs and mobile phone operators. Until recently blocking sites was not a feasible option, but with improvements in technology it is now, and we welcome the efforts and
	commitment of major players in the industry in developing blocking solutions. All the major fixed and mobile ISPs either have solutions in place, or are committed to having them in place the near future. Given the sensitivity around this issue, not all companies wish to be named. Government will continue to work with the industry to restrict access to child abuse images.

Coltsfoot Consultants Ltd

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his Department plans to meet representatives of Coltsfoot Consultants Ltd.; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: I am not aware of any existing plans from officials at the Home Office to meet representatives of Coltsfoot Consultants Ltd.

Commission for Integration

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the membership of the Commission for Integration is expected to be decided; and when the Commission is expected to hold its first meeting.

Paul Goggins: The Home Secretary wrote to faith leaders and other key stakeholders on 21 September inviting views on the terms of reference and membership of the Commission. These views are currently being considered as part of our wider discussions and we hope to make an announcement about the Commission's membership and terms of reference before the end of the calendar year. The date for the first meeting will follow thereafter.

Community Support Officers

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average salary paid to a community support officer is in 200506.

Hazel Blears: The salary and allowances of a community support officer are determined within each police force by the chief officer of that force and the police authority. We estimate that the average payment of salary and allowances this year is about 20,100.

Community Support Officers

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police community support officers have enlisted in Gravesham since 1 January 2000; and how many of these remain in service.

Hazel Blears: Figures for the Gravesham district are not collected centrally.

Conviction Rates

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of (a) burglaries and (b) crimes against individuals resulted in a conviction in each year since 1997; and what percentage resulted in custodial sentences.

Hazel Blears: The table shows the number of convictions for burglary and the number resulting in a custodial sentence expressed as a percentage of the number of burglaries recorded, in each year since 1997. Neither the recorded crime data nor the court proceedings data enable offences against individuals to be separately identified from offences against businesses and organisations in all cases.
	
		Number of burglary offences recorded by the police, offenders convicted of burglary at all courts and sentenced to immediate custody: -- England and Wales 1993 to 200405
		
			 Financial years from 199899 onwards Number of burglary offences recorded by the police(42) Calendar years Defendants convicted of burglary at all courts(41) Defendants sentenced to immediate custody for burglary(41) 
			Number Percentage of recorded offences Number Percentage of recorded offences 
		
		
			 1993 1,369,584 1993 40,272 2.9 11,899 0.9 
			 1994 1,256,682 1994 37,952 3.0 13,036 1.0 
			 1995 1,239,484 1995 35,346 2.9 13,497 1.1 
			 1996 1,164,583 1996 32,194 2.8 13,503 1.2 
			 1997 1,015,075 1997 31,703 3.1 14,338 1.4 
			 199899(42) 953,184 1998 30,769 3.2 14,547 1.5 
			 19992000 906,468 1999 29,261 3.2 14,345 1.6 
			 200001 836,027 2000 26,222 3.1 13,677 1.6 
			 200102 878,509 2001 24,802 2.8 12,476 1.4 
			 200203(43) 888,827 2002 26,691 3.0 13,350 1.5 
			 200304 818,642 2003 25,726 3.1 11,820 1.4 
			 200405 679,973 2004 24,252 3.6 10,814 1.6 
		
	
	(41) These data are on the principal offence basis.
	(42) The number of crimes recorded using the expanded coverage and rules which came into effect on 1 April 1998.
	(43) The recorded crime figured from 200203 onwards take account of the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard in April 2002. These figures are not directly comparable with those for earlier years.
	Source:
	RDSOffice for Criminal Justice Reform

Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will answer the letter to him dated 22 September from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to (a) Mr. Mohammed Ashraf and (b) Ms Juliet Kufvor.

Charles Clarke: The information is as follows:
	(a) I replied to my right hon. Friend the Member for Manchester, Gorton about Mr. Mohammed Ashraf on 24 November.
	(b) I replied to my right hon. Friend the Member for Manchester, Gorton about Ms Juliet Kufour on 11 November.

Correspondence

Clare Short: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Minister for the Criminal Justice System and Offender Management will reply to the letter from the right hon. Member for Birmingham, Ladywood, of 24 August on behalf of Serge Paul and West Midlands Prison Visiting Transport Service.

Fiona Mactaggart: My noble Friend Baroness Patricia Scotland of Asthal replied to my right hon. Friend on 21 November enclosing a copy of her reply to Mr. Paul dated 9 September.

Correspondence

Clare Short: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will reply to the letter of 6 July from the right hon. Member for Birmingham, Ladywood, (acknowledged on 25 July ref B15446/5) on Home Office case reference K1025532 regarding Mr. Karenzada.

Tony McNulty: The Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND) wrote to my right hon. Friend on 22 November 2005.

Crime Reduction

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what measures have been introduced since 2001 to reduce crime against small businesses in (a) North West Leicestershire and (b) England;
	(2)  what steps are being taken to reduce the number of crimes committed against small businesses.

Hazel Blears: In 2002 the Government provided North West Leicestershire with over 200,000 for crime reduction measures. This was used to set up the 'Retail Radio' system in Coalville and Ashby to provide immediate intelligence on business crime such as shoplifting, crime in a neighbouring shop and violence against a shopkeeper. The funding was also used to set up the PubWatch scheme in the same areas.
	More widely, in 2001 15 million was given to the Small Retailers in Deprived Areas initiative (SRDA). Over the next three years, the SRDA helped 12,500 small businesses in the most deprived areas to improve security and introduce other crime prevention measures.
	In January 2004, the Home Office established a Small Business Forum with members from a wide range of organisations to hear at first hand the particular crime problems small and medium sized enterprises face, and to develop and implement practical and effective measures to reduce those crimes.
	Earlier this year we also provided nearly 1 million to the Action Against Business Crime Group to help set up local business crime partnerships in town and shopping centres across England and Wales.

Crime Reduction

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what methods his Department uses to record crimes against small businesses.

Hazel Blears: The Home Office publishes annual total crime statistics recorded by the police in England and Wales for the following offences specifically relating to business crime; robbery of business property, theft by an employee, theft from shops, and theft of an automatic machine or meter.
	However we are aware that, given the complexity and range of crimes experienced by the business sector, no one method of collecting data will provide a sufficiently complete picture. We are therefore considering how both police and survey data collection can be refined and extended to give us a more accurate and comprehensive overview of the crimes experienced by businesses.

Crime Reduction

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the crime reduction funding streams available in each of the last five years.

Hazel Blears: The table shows the crime reduction funding streams that were allocated for national and local activities, by year, during the period in question. A number of national activities for various crime types were funded through general crime reduction grants.
	As outlined in the 2004 National Audit Report on the Crime Reduction programme, the Home Office has reduced the bureaucratic burden on Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships by rationalising the number of funding streams and the associated monitoring procedures, from fourteen in 2003/04 to three main funds in 2005/06, with just a handful of minor budgets channelled through the Government Offices.
	That progress will continue over the coming months, particularly with the roll out nationally of the Safer Stronger Communities Fund, which will combine a number of Home Office and Office of the Deputy Prime Minister funding streams into a single fund.
	That progress will continue over the coming months, particularly with the roll out nationally of the Safer Stronger Communities Fund, which will combine a number of Home Office and Office of the Deputy Prime Minister funding streams into a single fund.
	
		
			  Crime reduction funding streams 
		
		
			 2001/02 Crime Reduction Programme (CRP), including: CCTV; youth inclusion; drug arrest referrals; toolkits; Splash; Rape Crisis Federation; Suzy Lamplugh Trust; Treatment of Offenders; On Track; Schools; Violence Against Women (VAW); Neighbourhood Wardens; Reducing Burglary Initiative (RBI); Targeted Policing Initiative (TPI); Locks for Pensioners; Vehicle Crime; Prostitution; Sentencing; Design Against Crime; CCTV; Communities Against Drugs (CAD); Partnership Development Fund (PDF); Small Retailers in Deprived Areas (SRDA); DAT Development Fund; CAD for DATs; Street Crime. 
			   
			 2002/03 Crime Reduction Programme (CRP) (including CCTV and constituent elements named above); Communities Against Drugs (CAD); Partnership Development Fund (PDF); Small Retailers in Deprived Areas (SRDA); Safer Communities Initiative (SCI); Street Crime Initiative; DAT Development Fund; CAD for DATs. 
			   
			 2003/04 Building Safer Communities Fund (BSCF); Home Office Regional Directors' allocation (HORDs fund); Basic Command Unit (BCU) Fund; Vehicle crime; Anti-Social Behaviour Co-ordinator grant; Business crime; Violence Against Women; Youth Crime; Voluntary Sector funding; Gun crime; DAT Development Fund; CAD for DATs; Small Retailers in Deprived Areas (SRDA); Capacity Building Fund. 
			   
			 2004/05 Building Safer Communities Fund (BSCF); Home Office Regional Directors' allocation (HORDs fund); Basic Command Unit (BCU) Fund; Capacity Building Fund; Youth Crime; Business Crime; Voluntary Sector; Burglary; Vehicle Crime; Violent crime (including Domestic Violence and DV Bill costs). 
			   
			 2005/06 Building Safer Communities Fund (BSCF); Home Office Regional Directors' Allocation; Basic Command Unit (BCU) Fund; Domestic Violence Tackling Violent Crime Programme; Business Crime Advisers Grant; Street Crime grant; Business crime; Prolific offenders; Youth crime

Crime Statistics

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average number of crimes committed per day was in each police force area in the last year for which figures are available.

Hazel Blears: The available data relate to the number of crimes recorded by the police in a year. The latest information was published in table 6.02 of Home Office Statistical Bulletin number 11/05, Crime in England and Wales 200405. This can be found on the following website:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/index.htm.

Crime Statistics

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the level of detection of burglaries was in each of the last eight years.

Hazel Blears: The information requested is given in the tables.
	
		Detection rates for offences of burglary recorded by the police in England and Wales: 1997 to 200102
		
			 Period Percentage detected 
		
		
			 1997 23 
			 199899(44) 19 
			 19992000 13 
			 200001 12 
			 200102 12 
		
	
	(44) Expanded coverage and revised counting rules came into effect on 1 April 1998
	Note:
	The data in this table is prior to the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard. These figures are not directly comparable with those for later years.
	
		Detection rates for offences of burglary recorded by the police in England and Wales: 200203 to 200405
		
			 Period Percentage detected 
		
		
			 200203 12 
			 200304 13 
			 200405 13 
		
	
	Note:
	The data in this table takes account of the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard in April 2002. These figures are not directly comparable with those for earlier years.

Custody Detention Suites

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what plans he has to extend the installation of lifesigns monitoring equipment in custody detention suites; what each unit costs; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what guidance he has issued regarding the appropriate use of lifesigns monitoring equipment in custody suites; and if he will make a statement.

Fiona Mactaggart: Lifesigns monitoring equipment was trialled in HMP Ashwell in 2003 by the Police Scientific Development Branch of the Home Office, and the results were sent to all chief officers in December 2003. However, no guidance was issued as the decision to install such equipment in custody suites and the negotiations for its costs are matters for individual chief officers, and figures are not collated centrally.

Deepcut Barracks

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost was of the Devon and Cornwall police inquiry into Surrey police's investigation into the deaths at the Deepcut Barracks; and if he will make a statement.

Hazel Blears: The chief constable of the Devon and Cornwall police is responsible for the day to day operational management of the force and the deployment of resources. I will ensure that the chief constable receives a copy of the question and replies to you directly. Copies of the letter containing Devon and Cornwall police's response will be placed in the House Libraries.

Departmental Websites

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take steps to ensure the Department's websites attain the W3C AAA standard of accessibility for people with visual and other disabilities; and if he will set a target date for this standard to be achieved by.

Charles Clarke: Current Cabinet Office guidelines recommend that Government websites adhere to a minimum of W3C WAI A standard (http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/e-government/resources/handbook/html/24.asp#2.4.3). However, the Home Office realises and understands that although this leads to websites that are acceptable to impaired users, their experience of the site is still sub-standard. As such we are committed to bringing all of our websites up to at least AA level.
	The core Home Office family of websites (sites with homeoffice.gov.uk addresses) has recently been redeveloped to improve the experience of all users. Before launch the sites were independently audited for their accessibility compliance and met most requirements up to AAA standard. Following final adjustments being made at present the sites will be resubmitted to RNIB for their 'See it Right' accreditation. They will then meet A, AA and most AAA criteria. This level will be met by Christmas 2005 with RNIB accreditation following in early 2006.
	All new websites built by the Department will either fit into the core set of sites and will therefore inherit their standards or will be objectively audited to ensure compliance.
	All new websites built by the department will either fit into the core set of sites and will therefore inherit their standards or will be objectively audited to ensure compliance.

Directors' Allocation Fund

Andrew Pelling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of his Department's Directors' Allocation Fund funding stream from the Government office for London was made available to the London borough of Croydon in 200405.

Hazel Blears: In 200405, one project in Croydon was allocated funding under the Home Office Regional Directors' Allocation. A sum of 55,000 (out of the total allocation of around 1.2 million) was made available for the Croydon Family Justice Centre. The Centre enhances services to family violence, domestic violence and elder abuse victims in South London. It duplicates the San Diego Justice Centre, 'International Model of Excellence,' and will also help to ensure the success of the new Croydon Domestic Violence Integrated Court.

Domestic Burglar Alarms

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the number of domestic burglar alarms activated in each police force area in England in each of the last five years; and how many of these were found to be genuine alarms indicating a crime in progress.

Hazel Blears: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Domestic Violence

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many victims of domestic abuse were of (a) British, (b) Indian, (c) Pakistani, (d) Bangladeshi, (e) North American, (f) South American, (g) Chinese and (h) African origin in each of the past 10 years for which figures are available; and how many were (i) married, (ii) co-habiting and (iii) single in each case.

Fiona Mactaggart: The British Crime Survey (BCS) routinely provides information on the number of incidents of domestic violence but not on the actual number of victims. The number of incidents is not broken down by nationality or marital status.
	The 200405 BCS assessed the prevalence risk of domestic violence by marital status. The risk of victimisation (i.e. the percentage of people who had been victims of domestic violence once or more) was 0.2 per cent. among married people, 0.6 per cent. among cohabiting people and 0.8 per cent. among single people.
	
		BCS incidents of domestic violence, 1995 to 200405,England and Wales
		
			  Number (thousand) 
		
		
			 1995 989 
			 1997 814 
			 1999 775 
			 200102 ints 626 
			 200203 ints 506 
			 200304 ints 447 
			 200405 ints 401

Domestic Violence

Michael Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many recorded incidents of domestic violence there were in West Mercia in each of the last five years.

Hazel Blears: From the information collected centrally on recorded crime, it is not possible to identify cases of domestic violence. Such offences are not specifically defined by statute and details of the individual circumstances of offences are not collected.

Domestic Violence

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in how many incidents of domestic violence reported in (i) England, (ii) the Tees Valley and (iii) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland in each year since 1997 the perpetrator was (a) male and (b) female.

Hazel Blears: From the information collected centrally on recorded crime, it is not possible to identify cases of domestic violence. Such offences are not specifically defined by statute and details of the individual circumstances of offences are not collected.

Domestic Violence

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) men and (b) women have been prosecuted for domestic violence in each year since 1997 in (i) England, (ii) the Tees Valley and (iii) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland.

Fiona Mactaggart: Of all cases identified and flagged as domestic violence by the police and passed to the CPS in Cleveland Local Justice Area, 378 were prosecuted in 200405. In the first quarter of 200506, there were 151 prosecutions and in the second quarter there were 149 prosecutions. These are collected at Local Justice Area level and cannot be disaggregated further.
	In their guidelines on investigating domestic violence, issued in November 2004, the Association of Chief Police Officers advised all forces to identify and flag domestic violence incidents. In April this year, the CPS also began a campaign to encourage police and prosecutors to identify and flag cases. Therefore, there is a likely increase in the number of prosecutions identified as domestic violence from 200405 to the first two quarters of 200506 due to the embedding of this activity. There are no centrally collected figures prior to 200405.
	The gender of the persons prosecuted for domestic violence cases is not collected by the CPS.

Domestic Violence

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many recorded incidents of domestic violence there were in Staffordshire in each of the last five years.

Hazel Blears: From the information collected centrally on recorded crime, it is not possible to identify cases of domestic violence. Such offences are not specifically defined by statute and details of the individual circumstances of offences are not collected.

Domestic Violence

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many domestic violence prosecutions were undertaken in Staffordshire in each of the last five years.

Fiona Mactaggart: Of all cases identified and flagged as domestic violence by the police and passed to the CPS in Staffordshire, 1,268 were prosecuted in 200405. In the first quarter of 200506, there were 407 prosecutions and in the second quarter there were 524 prosecutions.
	In their guidelines on investigating domestic violence, issued in November 2004, the Association of Chief Police Officers advised all forces to identify and flag domestic violence incidents. In April this year, the CPS also begun a campaign to encourage police and prosecutors to identify and flag cases. Therefore, there is a likely increase in the number of prosecutions identified as domestic violence from 200405 to the first two quarters of 200506 has been due to the embedding of this activity. There are no centrally collected figures prior to 200405.

Domestic Violence

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the nswer of 3 November 2005, Official Report, column 1252W, on domestic violence, when the (a) 2004 and (b) 2005 results on victimisation will be made available.

Hazel Blears: The British Crime Survey (BCS) measures victimisation against adults living in private households in England and Wales. Domestic violence is included as part of the survey's core measures of violent crime. The results from the 200405 BCS were published on 21 July 2005 in the Home Office Statistical Bulletin 11/05 'Crime in England and Wales 200405'. The 200506 figures will be published in July 2006.
	The BCS also includes a self-completion module of questions on interpersonal violence; this covers domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking. This module was included in the 200405 survey, the results from which will be published in spring 2006. A module of questions on interpersonal violence has also been included in the 200506 BCS (currently in the field). The results from this module are intended for publication in 2007.
	The results from the 2004 Offending, Crime and Justice Survey, which includes general data on victimisation of young people aged 10 to 25, were published on 24 November 2005, in the Home Office Statistical Bulletin 20/05 'Young people and crime: findings from the 2004 Offending, Crime and Justice Survey'. This report did not include domestic violence. The results from the 2005 survey will be published late 2006.

Drugs

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of drug users successfully completed drug treatment in 200405.

Caroline Flint: I have been asked to reply.
	Overall, 75 per cent. (120,700) individuals either successfully completed treatment in 200405 or were retained in treatment on 31 March 2004.
	53 per cent. of clients who were discharged remained in treatment for 12 weeks or more in 200405.
	The Government is on track to achieve the public service agreement target to
	increase the participation of problem drug users in drug treatment programmes by 100 per cent. by 2008 and increase year on year the proportion of users successfully sustaining or completing treatment programmes.

Drugs

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the (a) quantity and (b) street value of drugs sold in England and Wales in 2005, broken down by type of drug; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: The latest estimates of the size of the market for illicit drugs were published by the Home Office in 2001 and refer to 1998. The following table sets out the study's estimate of the quantity and street value of the market for amphetamines, cannabis, cocaine, crack, heroin and ecstasy. Full details of this study (Occasional Paper 74) are available to download at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/drugs1.html
	
		
			 Drug Quantity Value ( million) 
		
		
			 Amphetamines (kg) 25,772 257.7 
			 Cannabis (kg) 486,224 1,577.9 
			 Cocaine (kg) 4,582 352.8 
			 Crack (kg) 18,714 1,817.4 
			 Heroin (kg) 31,257 2,31 3 
			 Ecstasy (tablets) 26,786 294.6

Public Order

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) arrests and (b) prosecutions for (i) being drunk and disorderly, (ii) being found drunk on a highway, public place or on licensed premises and (iii) being drunk in or when entering a designated sports event there have been in each police force area in England and Wales, in each year since 1996.

Hazel Blears: The information requested on arrests is not collected centrally.
	Tables 13 show the number of prosecutions for (i) being drunk and disorderly, (ii) being found drunk on a highway, public place or on licensed premises and (iii) being drunk in or when entering a designated sports event in each police force area in England and Wales, 19962003. Prosecution figures for 2004 will be available at the end of November.
	Since April 2004 police in England and Wales have had the power to deal with the first two offences in question by issuing a penalty notice for disorder. Table 4 gives figures for the number of penalty notices issued for being drunk and disorderly and being found drunk on a highway in 2004 by each police force, alongside provisional figures for January to June 2005. issued for being drunk and disorderly and being found drunk on a highway in 2004 by each police force, alongside provisional figures for January to June 2005.
	
		Table 1: Number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts for selected offences related to drunkennessEngland and Wales, 19962003(45)
		
			 Police force area 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 
		
		
			 Offence: Being found drunk in a highway or other public place, whether a building or not, or on licensed premises 
			 Statute: Licensing Act 1872 s.12   
			 Avon and Somerset 41 61 63 92 83 72 84 84 
			 Bedfordshire 22 53 153 94 52 31 20 47 
			 Cambridgeshire 12 36 31 37 44 51 51 71 
			 Cheshire 65 69 63 48 34 18 23 24 
			 Cleveland 7 4 13 . 2 3 2 3 
			 Cumbria 18 38 36 22 13 17 15 8 
			 Derbyshire 18 38 42 46 64 60 52 40 
			 Devon and Cornwall 223 284 300 331 249 215 228 185 
			 Dorset 14 12 14 18 28 12 12 15 
			 Durham 8 23 39 38 22 45 20 6 
			 Essex 110 227 209 169 137 114 52 12 
			 Gloucestershire 24 53 90 56 34 35 34 20 
			 Greater Manchester 7 7 14 9 3 8 4 10 
			 Hampshire 235 346 481 346 232 164 127 71 
			 Hertfordshire 30 20 47 65 42 31 18 18 
			 Humberside 5 11 12 14 6 3 4 5 
			 Kent 98 155 145 145 148 142 154 153 
			 Lancashire 150 213 213 188 248 182 177 69 
			 Leicestershire   1 6 4  2  
			 Lincolnshire 13 34 49 26 25 11 15 10 
			 London(46) 170 258 287 245 166 305 185 141 
			 Merseyside 47 44 46 38 34 39 29 18 
			 Norfolk 55 65 65 68 67 58 57 72 
			 North Yorkshire 40 81 94 85 133 136 143 120 
			 Northamptonshire 6 6 6 6 7 1 9 3 
			 Northumbria 9 21 28 41 23 10 12 9 
			 Nottinghamshire 7 1 8 6 3 10 9 12 
			 South Yorkshire 36 18 12 21 32 13 8 5 
			 Staffordshire 84 81 70 41 12 17 15 34 
			 Suffolk 80 108 81 97 72 51 61 57 
			 Surrey 44 91 97 108 119 120 81 86 
			 Sussex 232 226 226 130 81 129 102 88 
			 Thames Valley 230 214 246 207 173 144 123 127 
			 Warwickshire 7 8 98 17 9 7 7 6 
			 West Mercia 30 97 64 73 19 22 9 4 
			 West Midlands 27 61 51 29 19 11 7 22 
			 West Yorkshire 29 46 103 67 70 26 34 90 
			 Wiltshire 51 68 73 65 48 59 52 48 
			 Dyfed-Powys 80 92 152 134 138 77 72 78 
			 Gwent 28 21 25 21 25 38 50 25 
			 North Wales 19 17 13 14 7 3 9 7 
			 South Wales 64 113 241 250 251 228 206 218 
			 England and Wales 2,475 3,421 4,101 3,513 2,978 2,718 2,374 2,121 
		
	
	
		Table 2: Number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts for selected offences related todrunkennessEngland and Wales, 19962003(45)
		
			 Police force area 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 
		
		
			 Offence: Drunk in, or when entering, a designated sports event 
			 Statute: Sporting Events (Control of Alcohol etc) Act 1985 s.2(2) 
			 Avon and Somerset 7 6 23 6 5 3 3 9 
			 Bedfordshire 2 15 5 11 9 4 2 2 
			 Cambridgeshire 4 9 6 5 5 8 4 2 
			 Cheshire 10 4 3 2 3 1 2 5 
			 Cleveland 10 9 7 26 4 15 26 14 
			 Cumbria 3 4 12 1 
			 Derbyshire 4 2 5  5 3 11 4 
			 Devon and Cornwall 2 2 1 2 2 1 1 2 
			 Dorset 3 6 13 3 11 12 8 3 
			 Durham 2   1 1 3   
			 Essex  1   1
			 Gloucestershire3 7 6 7 1 
			 Greater Manchester 10 9 28 9 13 7 13 11 
			 Hampshire 38 41 15 8 16 16 9 19 
			 Hertfordshire   1 1  2 1  
			 Humberside 4   5 3 5 1 2 
			 Kent 3 2 1 10 3 3   
			 Lancashire 54 61 33 24 26 26 23 16 
			 Leicestershire   2 2 3   4 
			 Lincolnshire   12 1 
			 London(46) 136 198 191 115 73 37 61 72 
			 Merseyside 5 3 9 13 10 9 8 7 
			 Norfolk 39 12 14 7 1 11 10 7 
			 North Yorkshire 15 6 2 3 15 13 4 3 
			 Northamptonshire11 
			 Northumbria 53 102 43 26 20 44 42 44 
			 Nottinghamshire 23 40 34 42 19 26 20 13 
			 South Yorkshire 57 48 20 27 23 41 31 17 
			 Staffordshire 4 3 15 2 
			 Suffolk 5 5 5 3 2 7 5 6 
			 Surrey 
			 Sussex  1  1 3
			 Thames Valley 15 15 21 6 3 9 3 2 
			 Warwickshire 
			 West Mercia 4 2  1 2 1  1 
			 West Midlands 126 59 52 25 15 55 85 72 
			 West Yorkshire 20 32 33 30 53 68 47 25 
			 Wiltshire 11 12 22 2 18 11 1 1 
			 Dyfed-Powys 
			 Gwent 
			 North Wales 3 2 3 7 5  2 4 
			 South Wales 3 2 6 3 2 5  3 
			 England and Wales 675 713 601 430 381 452 439 376 
		
	
	
		Table 3: Number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts for selected offences related to drunkennessEngland and Wales, 19962003(45)
		
			 Police force area 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 
		
		
			 Offence: Being guilty while drunk of disorderly behaviour 
			 Statute: Criminal Justice Act 1967 s.91  
			 Avon and Somerset 272 361 374 383 363 399 408 427 
			 Bedfordshire 127 166 314 220 186 187 197 219 
			 Cambridgeshire 55 122 144 159 148 151 154 189 
			 Cheshire 652 586 714 652 590 563 648 652 
			 Cleveland 521 774 707 708 684 621 630 715 
			 Cumbria 680 808 812 802 521 558 514 525 
			 Derbyshire 193 294 286 231 254 292 357 425 
			 Devon and Cornwall 626 888 771 709 704 817 895 672 
			 Dorset 247 272 390 343 406 469 551 520 
			 Durham 396 406 504 491 538 563 541 603 
			 Essex 281 515 490 553 584 513 409 194 
			 Gloucestershire 113 147 200 153 158 164 180 201 
			 Greater Manchester 1,481 1,415 1,307 1,206 1,215 1,067 1,005 965 
			 Hampshire 1,093 1,270 1,393 1,306 1,133 1,072 1,117 977 
			 Hertfordshire 228 296 337 388 381 406 508 449 
			 Humberside 205 250 225 255 234 247 213 213 
			 Kent 499 560 720 865 900 911 928 1,107 
			 Lancashire 1,231 1,618 1,673 1,827 2,165 2,366 2,210 2,180 
			 Leicestershire 17 27 27 37 24 26 26 19 
			 Lincolnshire 181 478 624 584 458 506 528 556 
			 London(46) 1,180 1,475 1,581 1,494 1,262 1,538 2,517 2,536 
			 Merseyside 2,267 2,967 2,940 2,151 1,979 1,926 2,118 2,039 
			 Norfolk 102 108 114 115 131 146 151 183 
			 North Yorkshire 297 342 382 411 459 482 452 512 
			 Northamptonshire 11 26 24 21 29 33 29 25 
			 Northumbria 2,401 3,122 3,567 3,548 3,859 3,516 3,587 3,944 
			 Nottinghamshire 581 563 570 526 482 529 507 501 
			 South Yorkshire 1,367 1,186 968 1,148 1,264 1,248 1,271 1,497 
			 Staffordshire 343 320 305 247 330 215 251 343 
			 Suffolk 202 269 212 213 228 267 333 357 
			 Surrey 165 208 208 280 412 473 477 439 
			 Sussex 487 522 512 398 512 631 733 801 
			 Thames Valley 1,123 1,086 1,305 1,161 979 997 979 1,090 
			 Warwickshire 227 309 666 286 228 195 125 162 
			 West Mercia 397 654 574 561 488 543 455 413 
			 West Midlands 712 1,102 846 522 472 437 463 307 
			 West Yorkshire 2,439 2,655 2,764 3,097 2,809 2,101 2,071 2,260 
			 Wiltshire 396 370 426 267 275 262 284 426 
			 Dyfed-Powys 181 200 198 153 145 162 173 223 
			 Gwent 804 748 532 420 360 308 273 207 
			 North Wales 1,090 824 1,006 949 799 839 669 545 
			 South Wales 1,514 1,582 1,583 1,212 1,162 998 802 725 
			 England and Wales 27,384 31,891 33,295 31,052 30,310 29,744 30,739 31,343 
		
	
	(45) These data are on the principal offence basis.
	(46) Includes Metropolitan police and City of London.
	Source:
	RDSOffice for criminal Justice reform.
	
		Table 4: Number of penalty notices for disorder issued for 'drunk and disorderly' behaviour and being 'drunk on a highway' by police force area, England and Wales, 2004 and January to June 2005(47)
		
			  Drunk and disorderly Drunk on a highway 
			 Police force area 2004 2005(47) 2004 2005(47) 
		
		
			 Offence: Being guilty while drunk of disorderly behaviour  
			 Statute: Criminal Justice Act 1967 s.91   
			  
			 Offence: Being found drunk in a highway or other public place, whether a building or not, or on licensed premises 
			 Statute: Licensing Act 1872 s.12   
			 Avon and Somerset 176 145 22 64 
			 Bedfordshire 144 131 13 34 
			 Cambridgeshire 189 123 34 41 
			 Cheshire 409 133 13 10 
			 Cleveland 368 388 2  
			 Cumbria 403 339 7 13 
			 Derbyshire 372 243 9 6 
			 Devon and Cornwall 988 658 158 110 
			 Dorset 82 47 2 2 
			 Durham 441 355 17 16 
			 Essex 714 241 24 31 
			 Gloucestershire 282 195 10 12 
			 Greater Manchester 333 398 31 60 
			 Hampshire 1,074 474 73 48 
			 Hertfordshire 208 133 9 10 
			 Humberside 604 330 1 3 
			 Kent 498 670 45 62 
			 Lancashire 2,869 2,128 79 76 
			 Leicestershire 67 38 6 4 
			 Lincolnshire 174 30 7 3 
			 London, City of 32 13 3 6 
			 Merseyside 2,728 1,794 20 33 
			 Metropolitan 4,081 1,422 1,159 610 
			 Norfolk 79 50 34 37 
			 North Yorkshire 373 333 106 74 
			 Northamptonshire 246 282 12 21 
			 Northumbria 126 516 3 7 
			 Nottinghamshire 477 305 8 8 
			 South Yorkshire 1,590 1,049 10 4 
			 Staffordshire 452 209 52 46 
			 Suffolk 267 169 35 18 
			 Surrey 80 130 25 70 
			 Sussex 1,029 662 65 80 
			 Thames Valley 396 122 7 44 
			 Warwickshire 250 75 8 3 
			 West Mercia 141 133 10 16 
			 West Midlands 1,580 627 100 54 
			 West Yorkshire 923 635 105 68 
			 Wiltshire 346 153 63 46 
			 Dyfed-Powys 183 148 37 73 
			 Gwent 127 84 22 6 
			 North Wales 639 452 14 21 
			 South Wales 69 92 37 26 
			 England and Wales 26,609 16,654 2,497 1,976 
		
	
	(47) January/June 2005 provisional data
	Source:
	RDSOffice for Criminal Justice Reform, Home office.

E-Borders Project

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost of the e-Borders project has been to date; and what the total projected cost is.

Charles Clarke: The most recent estimates are that e-Borders programme will cost 1,098 million (at present day values) over the period to 2019.
	To date the programme has incurred expenditure of 7.8 million resource and 14.9 million capital which is mainly made up of costs for pilot projects such as Project Semaphore and Project Iris.

Environmental Sustainability

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what change there was in water consumption by his Department between 2002 and 31 March 2005.

Charles Clarke: The following table shows the changes in annual water consumption from 2002. The departmental water consumption data for key Home Office (non-agency) buildings for 200405 is not yet available. The figures relate to key office buildings on the non-prison Home Office estate.
	
		
			  Water consumption in m(50)  
			  Home Office(48) HM Prison Service Total 
		
		
			 200203 202,520 8,147,572 8,350,092 
			 200304 232,019 7,661,276 7,893,295 
			 200405 n/a 8,195,722 8,195,722 
		
	
	
		Consumption in m(50) per person
		
			  Home Office(48) HM Prison Service 
		
		
			 200203 12.7  
			 200304 12.4  
			 200405 n/a  
		
	
	n/a = not available.
	(48) The figures relate to key buildings only.

Equality and Diversity

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 3 November 2005, Official Report, column 1254W, on equality and diversity, how much was allocated to race equality grants in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available.

Paul Goggins: Figures for each of the 10 years 199697 to 200506 are provided in the table. The figures include all grants paid direct by the Home Office, and those paid by the Commission for Racial Equality which is funded by he Home Office. They are additional to those given in the answer of 3 November 2005.
	
		Home Office expenditure on race equality grants
		
			   million 
		
		
			 199697 10.0 
			 199798 10.7 
			 199899 15.0 
			 19992000 10.5 
			 200001 12.6 
			 200102 17.5 
			 200203 17.5 
			 200304 18.7 
			 200405 10.0 
			 200506(49) 9.4 
		
	
	(49) 200506 data are estimated expenditure.

European Foreign Ministers Meeting

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the total cost was of policing the European Foreign Ministers conference at the Celtic Manor Hotel in Newport; and what financial contribution his Department made.

Hazel Blears: I understand from the chief constable of Gwent police that the total projected costs for policing the conference are 3.6 million. This includes total additional policing costs of 3.2 million as well as other consequential policing costs. Gwent police have submitted an application for special police grant as a contribution to the additional costs incurred of policing the conference. This is currently under consideration.

Firearms

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the summary of the responses to the May 2004 Controls on Firearms review will be published.

Hazel Blears: We received around 4,500 submissions in response to the consultation and they have all been read and analysed. A summary will be published in due course but we are concentrating at present on the steps needed to protect public safety as included in the Violent Crime Reduction Bill.

Firearms

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many incidents involving firearms occurred in the Essex police force area in each of the last five years.

Hazel Blears: The information requested is given in the tables.
	
		Table 1 : Offences involving firearms (excluding air weapons) recorded by Essex police, 19992000 to 200102
		
			  Number of offences 
		
		
			 19992000 61 
			 200001 77 
			 2001021 98 
		
	
	(50) Figures for some crime categories may have been inflated by some police forces implementing the principles of the National Crime Recording Standard in advance of national implementation.
	
		Table 2 : Offences involving firearms (excluding air weapons) recorded by Essex police, 200203 and 200304
		
			  Number of offences 
		
		
			 200203(51) 148 
			 200304 145 
		
	
	(51) The National Crime Recording Standard was introduced on 1 April 2002. Figures before and after this date are not directly comparable.

Fox Hunting

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many fox hunts have been prevented from taking place since the Hunting Act 2004 was enacted.

Hazel Blears: The Hunting Act 2004 makes the use of dogs to hunt wild mammals illegal, subject to some tightly drawn exemptions. It does not prevent hunts from meeting and carrying out legal equestrian or hunting activities, such as hound exercise, pest control or trail hunting. Current information suggests that hunts are seeking to adapt to the requirements of the Act.

Futurebuilders Funding

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what proportion of Futurebuilders funding was spent on consultants in the last year for which figures are available;
	(2)  how many community and voluntary groups have applied for (a) loans and (b) grants from Futurebuilders; and how many have been successful in each category.

Paul Goggins: Details of Futurebuilders England Ltd's expenditure on consultants are given in the following table:'
	
		Table 1: Futurebuilders England's expenditure on consultants
		
			  Proportion of total fund (percentage) 
		
		
			 Consultants to Futurebuilders England Ltd. 0.1 
			 Consultants engaged by Futurebuilders England Ltd. to assist applicant organisations. 0.12 
		
	
	Applications to Futurebuilders England Ltd. are for Futurebuilders investments. Decisions as to the form the investment should take, whether loan, grant or a combination, are made subsequently by Futurebuilders England Ltd., in consultation with the applicant organisation. Details of the number of applications made and the investments offered to date are given in the following table:
	
		Table 2: Applications to Futurebuilders England Ltd. for Futurebuilders investments
		
			  Application 'window one', July to September 2004 Application 'window two', June to September 2005 
		
		
			 Number of applications 630 485 
			 Number of full investments agreed 48 (52) 
			 Number of development grants agreed 42 (52) 
			 Total number of investments to date 90 (52) 
		
	
	(52) Figures not yet available.

Home Detention

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to expand the Home Detention Curfew Scheme.

Fiona Mactaggart: The Home Detention Curfew Scheme is kept under careful review but at present no decisions have been taken to expand the scheme.

Home Detention

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many offenders on home detention curfew have committed (a) a sexual offence and (b) an act of violence against the person while still on the scheme in each year since 1999.

Fiona Mactaggart: Since the start of the Home Detention Curfew scheme in January 1999 to 31 October 2005, 18 sexual offences and 833 offences against the person have been notified to the Home Office as committed by persons on HDC. These figures include those convicted, cautioned or awaiting prosecution. During the same period, 119,405 offenders have been released on the scheme.
	The information is not recorded centrally in the format requested and to provide it would incur disproportionate costs.

Hostage Taking

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) males and (b) females have been (i) charged and (ii) convicted in England and Wales in each year since 1984 of offences under section 1 of the Taking of Hostages Act 1982.

Paul Goggins: Statistics on the number of persons charged with an offence are not centrally collected.
	Paper records from the Home Office Court Proceedings database show that between 1992 to 2003, nobody was convicted under section one of the Taking of Hostages Act 1982 in England and Wales. Paper records prior to 1992 are now no longer available.
	Court statistics for 2004 will be available in late November.

Human Trafficking

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Government will sign the Council of Europe Convention on trafficking in human beings.

Paul Goggins: The Government have not yet taken a decision on whether or not the United Kingdom (UK) will sign the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings. While we support the aims of the Convention, there are provisions which present concerns for the UK and which remain under active consideration. We are assessing the level of risk associated with these provisions and considering actively how we might implement the Convention safely without placing more vulnerable people at risk.
	The Government are committed to tackling trafficking in human beings, domestically and internationally, and has in place a multi-faceted strategy on trafficking in human beings. We are determined that the measures we take bring the criminals responsible for this serious organised crime to justice, protect the victims of trafficking, and do not undermine our ability to control our borders.

Identity Cards Bill

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many copies of the Identity Cards Scheme DVD have been produced; and at what cost.

Charles Clarke: Ongoing engagement with stakeholders and research conducted with the general public showed an awareness of the Identity Cards Scheme, but a degree of misunderstanding about the details of the scheme and how Identity Cards would be used. It was decided to fund a DVD to help the Identity Cards Programme Team communicate the basic features of the scheme in a clear and concise way.
	To date, 250 copies of the Identity Cards Scheme DVD have been produced. The total cost of producing the DVD and making 50 copies was 70,482.38 and the subsequent cost of producing another 200 copies was 1,410.59, a unit cost of 7.05. Total cost for 250 copies was 71,892.96 including VAT.
	An extract from the DVD was made available fordownload on the Identity Cards website (www.identitycards.gov.uk) on 28 June 2005. From that date to 22 August 2005 the page had recorded 4,273 hits.

Illegal Sales

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many businesses were prosecuted for selling alcohol to youths under the age of 18 years in (a) England, (b) the Tees Valley and (c) Middlesbrough, South and East Cleveland constituency in 200405;
	(2)  how many businesses were prosecuted for selling (a) tobacco products and (b) lottery tickets and scratch cards to under 16s in (i) England, (ii) the Tees Valley and (iii) Middlesbrough, South and East Cleveland in 200405.

Paul Goggins: Court statistics for 2004 will be available in late November.
	The offence of selling alcohol to persons aged under 18 was added to the penalty notice for disorder scheme from 1 November 2004. Under the scheme the police may issue a fixed penalty notice to staff in licensed premises found to be selling alcohol to persons aged under 18 years. In 2004, 113 penalty notices were issued for this offence and provisional data for 2005 from January to September shows that 749 penalty notices were issued.

Illegal Sales

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many businesses have been prosecuted for selling (a) tobacco products and (b) Lottery tickets and scratch cards to under-16s in Kingston upon Hull North in the past five years.

Fiona Mactaggart: Information taken from the court proceedings database held by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform shows that between 2000 and 2004, there were no prosecutions of businesses at the magistrates courts in the Humberside police force area, for the sale of tobacco etc to persons under 16 nor under S13a National Lottery etc Act 1993.
	The Lottery operator is required to ensure sufficient controls are in place to prevent sales to under 16s. Examples include test purchasing programmes and retailer training and education. It will also remove the lottery terminal if a retailer is found to have made repeat sales to people under 16.
	Court statistics for 2005 will be available autumn 2006.

Independent Custody Visitors

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what statistics he collects to monitor the work of independent custody visitors in each police authority area; and if he will make a statement.

Hazel Blears: Statistics to monitor the work of custody visitors in police authority areas are not collated centrally by the Home Office.
	Independent custody visiting, formerly known as lay visiting, is a statutory responsibility placed on police authorities to appoint volunteer members of the community to make random, unannounced visits to police stations to check on the welfare of persons held in police detention, to ensure that their rights and entitlements are observed and that the conditions and facilities in which they are held are appropriate.
	The process became statutory under the Police Reform Act of 2002 paragraph 51 and the Independent Custody Visitors codes of practice place obligations on police authorities (paragraphs 6064 of the codes of practice) to record, publish information relating to visits and review performance at a local level.

Investigatory Powers Tribunal

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average time spent by the Investigatory Powers Tribunal in adjudicating a complaint was in the last period for which figures are available.

Hazel Blears: The time taken by the Investigatory Powers Tribunal to investigate any individual complaint or claim depends on its complexity and the need to ensure that all the relevant information is available to the tribunal to consider and to make a reasoned determination.

Investigatory Powers Tribunal

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what procedures are adopted by the Investigatory Powers Tribunal on receiving a complaint in order to ascertain whether it is a legitimate complaint.

Hazel Blears: All complaints and human rights claims made to the Investigatory Powers Tribunal are initially scrutinised by the tribunal office staff. They will decide, if necessary after making any further inquiries, whether or not the complaint or human rights claim falls within the jurisdiction of the tribunal. If it does, the tribunal undertakes a full investigation. Otherwise, the papers are referred to the members of the tribunal for directions.

Investigatory Powers Tribunal

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to review the functions and procedures of the Investigatory Powers Tribunal.

Hazel Blears: There are no plans to review the functions and procedures of the Investigatory Powers Tribunal at present.

Investigatory Powers Tribunal

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many public hearings the Investigatory Powers Tribunal has held since its inception.

Hazel Blears: The Investigatory Powers Tribunal was established on 2 October 2000 and has held oral hearings in three cases. Those hearings have taken place in both open and in camera sessions.

Investigatory Powers Tribunal

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps the Investigatory Powers Tribunal has taken to publicise its functions.

Hazel Blears: The Investigatory Powers Tribunal has its own website giving information about the jurisdiction, the procedures and the members of the Tribunal, as well as information about how to make a complaint or a human rights claim to the Tribunal. The website can be found at:
	www.ipt-uk.com
	The site is shortly to be updated with further information.
	The Tribunal has also produced an information leaflet which, together with complaints and claim forms, is circulated to Citizens Advice Bureaux, public libraries and police stations. Copies are also available on request by writing to the Investigatory Powers Tribunal, PO Box 33220, London SW1H 9ZQ.

Investigatory Powers Tribunal

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State forthe Home Department how many complaints have been received by the Investigatory Powers Tribunal in each calendar year since its inception; and how many were adjudicated on in each year, broken down by result.

Hazel Blears: This information is published each year in the Annual Reports of the Interception of Communications Commissioner and Intelligence Services Commissioner.
	The published figures are as follows:
	
		
			  Number of complaints received Number of determinations given Number carried forward to next year 
		
		
			 200001 102 71 31 
			 2002 130 94 67 
			 2003 109 100 76 
			 2004(53) 90 115 51 
		
	
	(53) Last year for which published figures are available.
	On no occasion from its inception on 2 October 2000 until 31 December 2004 did the Tribunal determine that there had been a contravention of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 or the Human Rights Act 1998.

Media Relations

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much the Department has spent on external media relations in each of the last 12 months.

Charles Clarke: The Home Office has used external PR companies to help deliver messages and advice to the public in press and magazinesas part of integrated communication campaigns often with a local focus.
	Campaigns include Year of the Volunteer, Holocaust Memorial Day, Sexual Offences Act, Crime and Antisocial Behaviour.
	In the last year, this spend was:
	
		
			   
		
		
			 2004  
			 September 73,420 
			 October 88,660 
			 November 106,341.70 
			 December 106,324.36 
			 2005  
			 January 162,806.40 
			 February 160,023.11 
			 March 195,283.87 
			 April 91,574.60 
			 May 86,525.90 
			 June 85,455 
			 July 91,135 
			 August 101,828 
			 September 104,630 
			 October 103,005 
		
	
	We have not employed consultants or companies to manage relations with the media on behalf of the Departmentthe spend is all campaign PR.
	These figures reflect an invoice schedule rather than when the work took place i.e. the amounts in March reflect work undertaken in January/February.

Metropolitan Police (Corruption)

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what resources the Metropolitan police has allocated to the detection and investigation of staff corruption in each of the last five years; how those resources have been deployed; what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of such deployment; and if he will make a statement.

Hazel Blears: The deployment of resources within the Metropolitan police service is an operational matter for which the commissioner has sole responsibility. I will ensure that the commissioner receives a copy of the question and that he replies to the hon. Member directly. Copies of his reply will be placed in the House Libraries.

National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what safeguards are in place to ensure that National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children staff and social workers do not instigate discussions regarding compensation in interviews with witnesses in historical sex abuse cases.

Hazel Blears: It is a matter for the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) to decide what guidance they give to their staff with regard to the matters they discuss with their clients.
	I am confident that social workers are aware of the risks of prejudicing future police investigations.

New Roads and Street Works Act

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) males and (b) females have been (i) charged with and (ii) convicted of offences under section 51 of the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991 in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement on the operation of the Act.

Paul Goggins: Statistics on the number of persons charged with a crime are not centrally collected. Data collected on the Home Office court proceedings database for offences under section 51 of the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991 form part of a miscellaneous group, which cannot be separately identified.

Notting Hill Carnival

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many deaths there were at the Notting Hill carnival in each year since 1995.

Hazel Blears: The information requested is not available from the Home Office recorded crime statistics.

O'Connor Report

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what arrangements are in place to carry out a public consultation after police authorities have submitted their proposals in response to the O'Connor report.

Hazel Blears: Police authorities are already consulting with their local communities and will take their views into account when submitting their proposals for restructuring in December. Where there is local agreement to establish a strategic force my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary would want to move forward with implementation as soon as possible. Where there is no such agreement and the Home Secretary decides that force mergers would be in the interests of the efficiency and effectiveness of policing, the Police Act 1996 (sections 32 to 34) provides for a four month consultation period before any amalgamation order is made.

Operation Crackdown

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the timescale is for Operation Crackdown; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: Operation Crackdown was a concerted campaign by 33 police forces in England and Wales to close drug dens, disrupt local drug markets, seize illegal firearms and bring dealers to justice.
	It was led by the Association of Chief Police Officers, working with the Home Office. It started on 12 January 2005 and ended on 31 March 2005.
	During the campaign the police reported that 170 crack houses were closed, 123kg of cocaine, 3.4kg of crack cocaine, 119.8kg of heroin and 86,059 ecstasy tablets were taken off the streets, police arrested 3,419 people for the supply of class A drugs; during operations to tackle class A drugs, 483 firearms (real and replica) were seized, and 3,242,932 of cash assets were seized.

Parliamentary Questions

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will answer the parliamentary questions tabled by the hon. Member for Orkney and Shetland on 19 October, ref (a) 21134 and (b) 21135.

Charles Clarke: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 22 November 2005, Official Report, column 1936W.

Police

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his policy is on the rights of (a) metropolitan police officers and (b) Serious Fraud Squad officers to give advance notice of operations to be carried out by their forces to (i) elected local representatives and (ii) members of police authorities, their advisors or employees.

Hazel Blears: This is an operational matter for the Metropolitan Police Service (MRS) and is not one on which central guidance has been issued. I understand from the MRS that each case is considered on its merits with the borough commander or officer in charge of an operation balancing the release of information against officer safety and the risk of compromising the operation.

Police

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what restrictions there are on the use of relevant information obtained by (a) elected local representatives and (b) police authority members, their advisors or employees in advance of operations carried out by the police.

Hazel Blears: This is an operational matter for chief constables. I understand that in the case of the Metropolitan Police the officer in charge or borough commander will, alongside the chair of the group that carries out a Community Impact Assessment decide what information can be released about an operation and they can specify restrictions on the use of that information by third parties.

Police

David Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the evidential basis was for the assumption that a minimum force size of 4,000 officers or 6,000 personnel in total is required for police constabulary efficiency.

Hazel Blears: Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary's report, Closing the Gap, found that forces with over 4,000 officers or 6,000 staff tended to meet the standard for protective services in that they demonstrated good reactive capability with a clear measure of proactive capacity. Protective services were assessed against national standards identified and agreed with the Association of Chief Police Officers on intelligence (what is known about an issue), prevention (what is being done to stop this) and enforcement/resolution (what ability is there to intervene effectively).

Police

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representation he has had from the West Yorkshire police force concerning the proposed merger of police forces in the area.

Hazel Blears: Separate submissions from West Yorkshire police and West Yorkshire police authority outlining a range of possible options for change were sent to the Home Office at the end of October 2005. The various options for change in the submission were carefully assessed by the Home Office, which are;
	(1) Regional Force (all four forces merging)
	(2) Merger between West Yorkshire and North Yorkshire
	(3) West Yorkshire as strategic force (favoured by the police authority)
	A detailed feedback letter on these options was sent to West Yorkshire police force and police authority on nine November. I wrote to all MPs on nine November providing an update on restructuring work. A written ministerial statement was also made to Parliament on 11 November, which fully outlined emerging options for all regions in England and Wales including Yorkshire and the Humber.

Police

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what disciplinary action has been taken against police officers for failure to comply with the associated Codes of Practice of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 and the Criminal Procedure and Investigations Act 1996 in historical sex abuse cases in the last three years.

Hazel Blears: The level of detail in the information my hon. Friend requires is not held centrally and could be obtained only at a disproportionate cost.

Police

David Gauke: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what procedures will be used for the appointment of chief constables of newly amalgamated police forces.

Hazel Blears: Chief constables of newly amalgamated forces will be appointed in line with the provisions in section 11 (1) of the Police Act 1996, i.e. by the new strategic police authorities, subject to the approval of the Secretary of State and regulations under Section 50.

Police

David Gauke: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what primary legislation would be necessary to implement the amalgamation of police forces.

Hazel Blears: Sections 32 to 34 of the Police Act 1996 make provision for the alteration of police force areas in England and Wales (other than the City of London police area) by secondary legislation. Under these provisions the Secretary of State may make an order either if he has received a request to make alterations from the police authorities for each of the areas affected by them (in which case the negative resolution procedure applies), or if it appears to him that it is expedient to make the alterations in the interests of efficiency and effectiveness (in which case the affirmative procedure applies).

Police

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for theHome Department how many full-time police officers there were in North Kent in each of the last eight years.

Hazel Blears: Information on police officer strength for North Kent basic command unit (BCU) is collected annually. The data reflect the position at the end of March and are only available from 2002. BCU strength between March 2002 and March 2005 is set out in the table. The deployment of police officers to North Kent is an operational matter for the chief constable.
	
		North Kent basic command unitpolice officer strengthMarch 2002 to March 2005
		
			 Year (as at 31 March) Number of officers 
		
		
			 2002(54) 342 
			 2003(55) 363 
			 2004 399 
			 2005 387 
		
	
	(54) Data collected by HM Inspectorate of Constabulary.
	(55) Data collected by Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate.

Police

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what policing considerations underlay his Department's instruction to police authorities that under their restructuring proposals any new force areas should not cross Government office regional boundaries.

Hazel Blears: The Home Secretary has stated to police forces and authorities that proposals for police force restructuring should not cross government office regional boundaries unless there is a compelling case to do so.
	The planning for effective and sustainable provision of protective services by the police requires the engagement of non-police partners including Government Offices, Regional Resilience Forums, local authorities, health authorities, and fire and ambulance services. A move away from coterminosity with these agencies could threaten the effectiveness of strategic partnership working, and hence has the potential to weaken the provision of protective services.
	The consultation process is still ongoing and is being driven locally by police forces and authorities, who are currently working in partnership with their key stakeholders to refine the business cases of their leading options, with their preferred option to be submitted to the Home Secretary by 23 December 2005.

Police

Rudi Vis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many children have spent one or more nights in police cells in the last 12 months.

Hazel Blears: These statistics are not collated centrally.
	The holding of prisoners in police custody is avoided wherever possible. In the last 12 months, three prisoners aged 15 to 17 who were committed to prison custody had to be held overnight in police accommodation.

Police

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people died as a result of a collision with a police car in the Essex police force area in each of the last five years.

Paul Goggins: Figures for the number of fatalities in Essex police force area including both police personnel and members of the public, in road traffic collisions on public roads during immediate/emergency response and police pursuits since 2001 are given in the table.
	
		Number of fatalities (including members of the public and police personnel) in Essex police force area, as a result of Road Traffic Collisions on public roads resulting from immediate/emergency response and police pursuits (200105)
		
			 As at 31 March each year Members of the public Police personnel 
		
		
			 2001 1 0 
			 2002 0 0 
			 2003 0 0 
			 2004 2 0 
			 2005 1 0

Police

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the pension liability was as of 31 March or the nearest convenient date for each police force in England and Wales.

Hazel Blears: The information is not readily available in the form requested but it is estimated that the total liability in the police pension scheme in England and Wales as at 31 March 2004, reported under the accounting standard FRS17 (as it applies to the public sector), was 44 billion.
	We are making arrangements to collate the figures requested and will provide the hon. Member with a copy of these and place a further copy in the Library in due course.

Police

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will establish a royal commission to review proposed police force mergers.

Hazel Blears: No. My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary has asked police authorities and chief officers to submit to him proposals for restructuring by 23 December. As part of this process police authorities and forces are consulting extensively with their local communities, and local government and criminal justice partners. Thereafter, there is wide recognition that restructuring should be implemented as quickly as possible to minimise disruption to the police service; a royal commission would preclude this.

Police

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 11 November 2005, Official Report, column 852W, on police helicopters, how many deployments of Metropolitan police helicopters there have been in each year since 2000.

Hazel Blears: The number of flights and flying hours completed by the Metropolitan police helicopters for each year since 2000 is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Flying hours Number of flights 
		
		
			 2000 3,098.01 4,037 
			 2001 2,868.11 3,718 
			 2002 2,847.09 3,728 
			 2003 2,993.57 3,992 
			 2004 3,074.16 3,869 
			 2005 (to end October) 2,436.04 3,422 
			 Total 17,317.38 22,766

Police

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of whether savings could be accrued through the centralising of police procurement.

Hazel Blears: National contracts for the purchase of some items by police forces, for example vehicles, have been in place for many years. Nonetheless, the scope for the police service to deliver efficiency gains through better procurement is recognised in the tri-partite police efficiency strategy. My Department, the Association of Police Authorities and the Association of Chief Police Officers for England and Wales, with support from the Office of Government Commerce, have jointly established the centre for procurement excellence in the police service (PEPS) to help forces develop and use national contracts, strengthen procurement practice and skills, and standardise requirements to achieve discounts through increased purchase volumes.
	Not all procurement is best done centrally, however. Part of the service's approach aims to identify and distinguish activity that is best undertaken collaboratively and that which is best undertaken more locally.

Police

David Gauke: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he will take to ensure that newly formed police authorities for amalgamated police forces are democratically accountable.

Hazel Blears: I refer the hon. member to my reply to a question from the hon. Member for Harwich (Mr. Carswell), Official Report, 21 November 2005, column 1763W.

Police

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the request from the Metropolitan Police Commissioner to the permanent secretary at the Home Office on 22 July that section 17 of the Police Reform Act 2002 should be amended.

Hazel Blears: We have no plans to amend section 17 which provides for the provision of information to the Independent Police Complaints Commission to help it in its investigations.
	Parliament recognised there would be occasions when disclosure of information to a complainant or other interested party would not be appropriate and introduced a duty of care.
	Having received information and other materials under section 17 of the Police Reform Act 2002 from a police authority or a chief officer, the Independent Police Complaints Commission then has a duty of care not to disclose information that has potential to cause harm. This is known as the sensitivity test and it applies equally to a police authority or a chief officer.

Police

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police stations have closed in each of the last five years, broken down by police authority area; and if he will make a statement.

Hazel Blears: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Winchester (Mr. Oaten) on 4 July 2005, Official Report, column 138W and hon. Member for Harwich (Mr. Carswell) on 12 September 2005, Official Report, column 2587W.
	Ownership and management of the police estate and allocation of resources are matters for each police authority and the chief officer, who are responsible for assessing and responding to local needs.
	A number of forces have devised innovative ways of increasing their accessibility to members of the public. In addition to police stations, forces also use kiosks, police boxes, agreements within council offices and libraries, One stop shops and mobile police stations as part of their engagement with the community.

Prevention of Terrorism Acts

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many individuals have (a) been detained and (b) charged since 11 September 2001 under the Prevention of Terrorism Acts; and if he will make a statement.

Charles Clarke: Detention under anti-terrorism legislation is provided for following an arrest under section 41 of the Terrorism Act 2000. The latest figures requested are published on the Home Office website:
	www.homeoffice.gov.uk/security/terrorism-and-the-law/terrorism-act
	These statistics have been supplied by the police. They are compiled from recent police records and are therefore subject to adjustment as cases go through the system. These statistics reflect the operation of specific terrorism legislation. It is important to remember that it is, and will continue to be the case, that terrorist suspects are dealt with by the most appropriate legal means. This could be the legislation for murder, grievous bodily harm or the use of firearms or explosives which are all outside the scope of the Terrorism Act.
	Section 45(4) of the Terrorism Act 2000 confers the power to detain a person only for the amount of time reasonably required to conduct a search authorised by virtue of section 44 of the Act. Total stops and searches under section 44 for the financial year 200405 will be published in December this year.

Prisons

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reason the cost of telephone calls from within HMP Wormwood Scrubs differs from the cost charged to those who do not reside there, but use the same telecom provider.

Fiona Mactaggart: The price of prisoners' phone calls is no longer linked to public payphone rates, they are set under the terms of the contract with BT which allows the Prison Service to set appropriate charges, taking account of the pattern of calls, as well as maintenance costs. The low minimum charge reflects the fact that prisoners' calls tend to be of short duration.

Prisons

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners have been released from prison before their sentence was completed since 1997.

Fiona Mactaggart: The requested figures can be found in the Home Office Statistical Bulletin: Offender Management Caseload Statistics 2003, a copy of which can be found in the House of Commons Library. Table 10.3 concerns HOC and Table 10.4 parole.

Prisons

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many women have given birth while serving a custodial sentence at a prison in (a) England and Wales and (b) the Tees Valley since 1997.

Fiona Mactaggart: The Prison Service has only routinely kept information centrally on births in custody since April 2005. Information before this date is not available. In the period 1 April to 30 September 2005, 55 women gave birth while in a prison in England and Wales. There are no women's prisons in the Tees Valley.

Prisons

William McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average daily cost of keeping a person in prison in England and Wales was during the latest period for which figures are available.

Fiona Mactaggart: The average daily cost of keeping a person in prison in England and Wales for the financial year 200405 was 77.

Prisons

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many alcohol management courses are accredited for prisons in England and Wales.

Fiona Mactaggart: No alcohol management courses have been accredited by the Correctional Services Accreditation Panel. No records are held centrally of courses accredited under the Prison Service validation system for regime interventions.

Prisons

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  why the Glass House Horticultural Operation at Leyhill Open Prison was discontinued; and what future use will be made of the empty glass house;
	(2)  how much the new visitor centre at Leyhill Open Prison cost; and why it is being closed;
	(3)  what training and employment opportunities are planned to replace the Glass House and visitor centre projects for prisoners at Leyhill Open Prison.

Fiona Mactaggart: The decision to close the Leyhill arts and gardens centre was taken because of a significant fall in income. The centre is now a burden on Leyhill's budget and is affecting its ability to deliver core work. While income generation is not the sole purpose of the centre, the opportunities for prisoner employment and the development of community links are not significant enough to override the financial impact.
	Most of the market garden glasshouses will be relocated to the prison estate on the closure of the site, removing the impact of closure on prisoner employment. Work opportunities should increase as a wider range of prisoners can be allocated to this work within the main prison. Opportunities for contact between prisoners and the public will be replicated through outside placements. It is anticipated that training will not be impeded by the closure of the centre. Some glasshouses will remain on the site which will be sold or leased. A new centre has not been built. However, essential refurbishment work was carried out on the existing centre to meet health and safety requirements and cost 200,000.

Proceeds of Crime Act

John Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much was recovered under the provisions of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 by the Metropolitan Police in respect of crimes at Heathrow Airport in 200405.

Paul Goggins: Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is the enforcement authority with lead responsibility for recovering the proceeds of crime at Heathrow Airport. The total amount recovered at Heathrow Airport by HMRC under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 is 4,259,000. The total value of cash seized (subject to forfeiture) and cash forfeiture orders obtained by the Metropolitan Police under the Act in respect of suspected criminal activity at Heathrow Airport in 200405 was 56,554.

Probation Service

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Probation Service officers there were in each probation area in each of the last five years.

Fiona Mactaggart: Information is not available for the full period requested. Data collected prior to 1 April 2003 are unreliable, and not directly comparable with the more accurate figures collected since that time. The figures presented as follows show full time equivalent (FTE) figures at the close of each quarter from 1 April 2003 to 30 June 2005.
	
		
			  200304 
			  Quarter 1 Quarter 2 Quarter 3 Quarter 4 
			  Starters Leavers Starters Leavers Starters Leavers Starters Leavers 
		
		
			 Senior Probation Officer 4.00 20.00 2.00 20.00 1.50 16.50 1.40 18.50 
			 Senior Practitioner 0.00 3.00 9.00 6.00 1.00 4.00 0.00 7.60 
			 Probation Officer 33.90 78.20 29.10 147.00 34.60 84.10 11.10 95.70 
			 Trainee Probation Officer 2.00 11.00 211.00 15.00 518.00 17.80 135.00 19.00 
			 Probation Services Officer 239.00 111.30 346.10 133.80 229.16 146.01 131.53 113.13 
			 Psychologist 0.00 0.00 1.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 2.50 
			 Other Operational Staff 30.40 56.20 30.70 35.20 49.30 18.30 48.74 23.60 
			 Deputy Chief Officers/Director 1.00 0.00 0.00 3.00 2.00 1.00 0.00 2.00 
			 AGO and Equivalent 1.00 2.00 4.70 9.00 5.00 5.67 5.00 6.20 
			 Area/District Manager 2.00 4.00 0.00 0.00 1.00 2.00 2.00 8.00 
			 Section or Function Head 4.00 5.00 19.00 10.00 8.50 10.00 7.00 16.00 
			 Support Staff -Admin 187.80 87.20 176.60 109.70 244.23 113.57 164.99 117.83 
			 Support Staff Other 44.10 13.00 30.40 39.40 38.91 26.30 21.54 16.11 
			 Other Specialist Worker 7.40 6.60 15.00 25.00 10.60 6.00 7.00 13.60 
			 Total 556.60 397.50 874.60 553.10 1143.80 451.25 535.30 459.77 
		
	
	
		
			  200405 
			  Quarter 1 Quarter 2 Quarter 3 Quarter 4 
			  Starters Leavers Starters Leavers Starters Leavers Starters Leavers 
		
		
			 Senior Probation Officer 4.00 22.60 0.00 2.00 0.00 1.00 1.00 6.00 
			 Senior Practitioner 1.00 2.40 0.00 5.00 1.27 1.00 2.00 0.00 
			 Probation Officer 14.50 84.40 0.00 0.00 1.00 3.00 1.50 3.00 
			 Trainee Probation Officer 2.00 16.00 4.00 11.90 8.00 8.07 8.31 13.38 
			 Probation Services Officer 137.44 138.03 171.83 158.52 165.18 110.98 193.51 103.77 
			 Psychologist 0.00 2.00 38.47 13.90 21.58 8.20 27.00 14.09 
			 Other Operational Staff 13.65 19.45 9.30 13.32 9.00 3.60 10.78 5.89 
			 Deputy Chief Officers/Director 0.00 0.00 1.60 24.90 3.00 15.17 6.05 16.10 
			 AGO and Equivalent 0.00 5.00 0.00 3.00 1.00 5.00 0.00 2.50 
			 Area/District Manager 2.00 1.50 4.20 106.96 25.66 93.68 23.64 84.30 
			 Section or Function Head 5.50 9.58 38.00 36.00 430.00 24.00 96.00 9.00 
			 Support Staff -Admin 104.61 142.66 208.18 159.83 255.53 132.86 296.81 106.79 
			 Support Staff Other 27.05 21.98 2.00 2.00 0.00 3.00 0.00 0.00 
			 Other Specialist Worker 10.68 8.00 21.25 20.80 21.44 17.03 36.15 19.10 
			 Total 322.43 473.60 498.83 558.13 942.66 426.58 702.75 383.92 
		
	
	
		
			  200506 
			  Quarter 1 
			  Starters Leavers 
		
		
			 Senior Probation Officer 2.00 1.27 
			 Senior Practitioner 0.50 4.00 
			 Probation Officer 1.00 0.00 
			 Trainee Probation Officer 9.00 7.30 
			 Probation Services Officer 177.21 109.30 
			 Psychologist 18.10 15.32 
			 Other Operational Staff 13.50 11.30 
			 Deputy Chief Officers/Director 5.90 15.00 
			 AGO and Equivalent 2.00 10.20 
			 Area/District Manager 17.90 99.88 
			 Section or Function Head 1.00 13.00 
			 Support Staff -Admin 236.89 124.70 
			 Support Staff Other 0.00 0.60 
			 Other Specialist Worker 22.53 24.41 
			 Total 507.53 436.28

Rape

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of contested prosecutions for rape brought by Gwent Crown Prosecution Service resulted in a conviction in the last 12 years.

Paul Goggins: Data held by the Office for Criminal Justice reform on the number of defendants pleading not guilty of rape and the number and percentage of these found guilty of rape at the Crown court in Gwent police force area are provided in the following table. Figures are presented for the years 19962004. Information on plea is not available for years before 1996. Data for 2005 will be available in the autumn of 2006.
	
		Number of defendants pleading not guilty of rape and the number and percentage of these found guilty of rape at the Crown court, Gwent police force area, 19962004(56)
		
			  Not guilty pleas Found guilty Conviction rate (percentage) 
		
		
			 1996 17 6 35 
			 1997 15 8 53 
			 1998 15 1 7 
			 1999 19 7 37 
			 2000 23 6 26 
			 2001 22 8 36 
			 2002 18 8 44 
			 2003 30 11 37 
			 2004 23 5 22 
		
	
	(56) These data are on the principal offence basis.
	Note:
	Rape includes rape of a female and male.

Rebranding

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for the HomeDepartment how much has been spent on rebranding in his Department and related agencies since 200304.

Charles Clarke: The Home Office has a central identity which presents a unified and coherent appearance to the public and to its employees. Agencies of the Home Office also need to present themselves consistently. The following table outlines money spent on branding work at the Home Office and related agencies since 200304:
	
		
		
			 Department/service Details of branding Amount spent on branding work 
		
		
			 Home Office Modification and update to branding guidelines 4,680 
			 National Offender Management Service Identity creation, production of artwork and branding guidelines 45,996 
			 Prison Service Modification of logo and production of branding guidelines 10,480 
			 Probation Service Modification of logo and production of branding guidelines 10,230 
			 Total  71,386

Recidivism

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the recidivism rate was among (a) female, (b) male and (c) all prisoners within two years of release in each year since 1997.

Fiona Mactaggart: Actual re-offending rates are not available. Reconviction rates are a commonly used proxy and two year reconviction rates are published annually.
	The most recent data are shown in the table.
	Reconviction rates should be used with caution as a number of different factors can influence them. Reconviction rates can be adjusted to take account of the changing characteristics of offenders and these adjusted rates are published annually on the Home Office's website (http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/index.htm).
	The most recent adjusted figures for the 2003 cohort show a reduction in reoffending for all offenders (males and females sentenced to community sentences or discharged from prison) of 1.8 per cent. against the 2000 baseline.
	
		Percentage of prisoners reconvicted of standard list offences years of discharge from prison
		
			  Male Female Total 
		
		
			 1997 59 51 58 
			 1998 59 52 59 
			 1999 59 55 59 
			 2000 n/a n/a n/a 
			 2001 61 57 61 
		
	
	Note:
	Owing to the administrative costs of matching criminal histories, the results shown relate to the reconviction results for samples of offender, those prisoners discharged in the first three months of the year.

Residential Drug Rehabilitation

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many residential drug rehabilitation places were available in Essex in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: I have been asked to reply.
	This information is not held centrally.

Rights of Way

Mike Wood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects local authorities will be able to use powers in the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 to close rights of way on crime prevention grounds.

Hazel Blears: I refer my hon. Friend the Member for Southampton, Test (Dr. Whitehead) to the answer I gave on 25 October 2005, Official Report, column 345W.

Road Safety

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons have been (a) killed whilst driving stolen cars and (b) killed by drivers of stolen cars in (i) Southend and (ii) Essex in the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: The information is not collected centrally.

Road Safety

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) males and (b) females have been (i) charged with and (ii) convicted of offences under section 40A of the Road Traffic Act 1988 in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available.

Paul Goggins: Statistics on the number of persons charged with a crime are not centrally collected.
	Data from the Home Office Court Proceedings database on the number of convictions under section 40A of the Road Traffic Act 1988, England and Wales, 1995 to 2004, are provided in the table.
	
		Number of males and females found guilty for offences under section 40A of the Road Traffic Act 1988 England and Wales, 1995 to 2004(57) 
		
			  Male Female 
		
		
			 Offence description: Using vehicle in dangerous condition etc 
			 Statute: Road Traffic Act 1988, section 40A (a) and (b) as added by the Road Traffic Act 1991, section 8 
			 1995 2,688 139 
			 1996 3,009 180 
			 1997 3,246 182 
			 1998 3,706 220 
			 1999 3,317 199 
			 2000 2,797 158 
			 2001 2,342 156 
			 2002 1,782 137 
			 2003 1,627 125 
			 2004 1,754 138 
		
	
	(57) These data are provided on the principal offence basis.
	Court statistics for 2005 will be available in autumn 2006.

Road Safety

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) males and (b) females have been (i) charged with and (ii) convicted of offences under section 16C of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available.

Paul Goggins: Statistics on the number of persons charged with a crime are not centrally collected.
	Data from the Home Office Court Proceedings database on the number of convictions under section 16 of the Road Traffic Regulations Act 1984, England and Wales, 1995 to 2004 are provided in the table.
	
		Number of males and females found guilty of offences under section 16 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, England and Wales, 1995 to 2004(58)
		
			  Found guilty 
			  Contravention of temporary prohibitions of traffic on roads Contravention of temporary speed limit on roads(not detected by camera devices) Contravention of temporary speed limit on roads(detected by camera devices) 
			  Male Female Male Female Male Female 
		
		
			 1995 2,937 520 90,882 11,219 7,126 1,314 
			 1996 2,463 423 92,655 11,140 14,328 2,885 
			 1997 2,355 435 90,951 12,181 16,760 3,469 
			 1998 4,050 857 108,906 14,826 20,806 4,849 
			 1999 4,760 1,099 99,017 13,990 26,059 6,510 
			 2000 3,011 738 88,721 13,912 24,939 6,531 
			 2001 3,125 767 76,383 12,600 31,507 8,578 
			 2002 2,938 731 62,329 10,887 35,311 10,260 
			 2003 3,331 882 62,492 11,028 47,172 13,234 
			 2004 3,653 965 65,524 12,143 53,396 15,069 
		
	
	(58) These data are provided on the principal offence basis.
	Court statistics for 2005 will be available in autumn 2006.

Sex Trafficking

Susan Kramer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Government will ratify the Palermo Protocol against sex trafficking to the UN Convention against Organised Crime; and if he will make a statement.

Hazel Blears: We consider that, taken together with existing United Kingdom law, the introduction of the trafficking offences contained in section four of the Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants, etc.) Act 2004 which came into force on 1 December 2004, mean that we fully comply with our legislative obligations under the Palermo Protocol.
	To enable us to ratify the protocol we must first ratify the UN convention against transnational organised crime. The legislative measures required to comply with the Convention have now been introduced and the Home Office and Foreign and Commonwealth Office are taking forward the necessary steps to ratify the convention and Protocol

Rural Crime

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking (a) to tackle rural crime and (b) to improve detection rates in rural areas.

Hazel Blears: Effective and responsive policing at neighbourhood level as well as robust partnership working are both essential parts of our strategy to tackle crime and to sustain the confidence and trust of the public in all parts of the country.
	We introduced the Rural Policing Fund in 200001 specifically to enhance the visibility and accessibility of policing in rural areas. 31 police authorities with the most widespread populations benefit from this additional funding. The annual allocation is 30 million. We are considering rolling-up a number of specific grants, including the Rural Policing Fund, into a single pot for each police authority to give authorities more control over how they may be used. We do not intend to abolish or reduce rural grant allocations. Each authority will receive the current levels of funding but would be expected to honour commitments.
	A number of police forces have introduced community support officers (CSOs) in rural areas since their introduction in 2002. The Home Office is also involved in a Blue Light pilot which aims to create a community focused, multi-functional role for these officers in some rural villages.
	We have made a commitment that by 2008, every area in England and Wales will benefit from dedicated neighbourhood policing teams which will be led by police officers and involve special constables, community support officers, volunteers and neighbourhood wardens among others.
	The Government acknowledge the need to improve sanction detection rates across all police forces. For that reason, a major drive has been underway since last summer with the aim of achieving a significant increase in sanction detection rates. This includes a range of operational improvements intended to build the investigative capability of the police service, together with some targeted support for forces with performance concerns.

Safety Cameras

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the revenue was from fines resulting from speed camera convictions in Hertfordshire in the latest year for which figures are available; and what sums were passed to (a) the Consolidated Fund and (b) the Hertfordshire Speed Camera Partnership.

Paul Goggins: Information on the total revenue from speed camera convictions is not collected centrally.
	The information collected by my Department identifies the number of fixed penalties ordered to be paid and the number and amounts of court fines issued for such offences. Not all fines and fixed penalties will have been paid.
	My right hon. Friend the Transport Secretary has advised that details of safety camera programme funding for 200203 are given in 'The national safety camera programme Three-year evaluation report', copies of which have been placed in the Library of the House, and are available from the Department for Transport website.

Safety Cameras

Gwyneth Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  in what percentage of cases the (a) maximum fine and (b) minimum fine was imposed for speeding detected by cameras in each year between 1994 and 2004;
	(2)  what the (a) maximum, (b) minimum and (c) average fine for camera-detected speeding was in each year between 1994 and 2004.

Paul Goggins: Available information on court fines for the offence of speeding detected by camera in the calendar years 1994 to 2003 is given in the table.
	Information for 2004 will be available early in 2006.
	
		Maximum and minimum fines imposed at the magistrates courts for speeding offences detected by camera(59) ,  England and Wales,1994 to 2003
		
			   Percentage of cases where: 
			  Standard rate maximum fine(60) Maximum (1,000) fine imposed Minimum (20 and under) fine imposed Average fine () 
		
		
			 1994 L3 (61) 0.4 94 
			 1995 L3 (61) 0.4 88 
			 1996 L3 (61) 0.5 80 
			 1997 L3 (62)0.0 1.1 92 
			 1998 L3 (62)0.0 0.6 115 
			 1999 L3 (62)0.0 0.2 106 
			 2000 L3 (62)0.0 0.2 107 
			 2001 L3 (62)0.0 0.2 111 
			 2002 L3 (62)0.0 0.2 103 
			 2003 L3 (62)0.0 0.1 107 
		
	
	(59) Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, sections 16, 81, 84, 86, 88 and 89; Motor Vehicles (Speed Limits on Motorways) Regulations 1973.
	(60) L3 = 1,000.
	(61) No maximum fines imposed.
	(62) Percentage not significant to one decimal place.
	Note:
	Coverage and recording practice affecting the statistics:
	(A) It is known that for some police force areas, the reporting of court proceedings in particular those relating to summary motoring offences, may be less than complete.
	(B) Since 1990, due to the delays in implementing new counting procedures, corrective action on non-keying errors was reduced resulting in a deterioration in the quality of the data on summary motoring proceedings.

Secure Training Centres

Sally Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many children have been subject to physical restraint in each of the secure training centres in each of the last four years; and in how many incidents each child was involved;
	(2)  What the ethnic origin was of each child subject to physical control in each of the secure training centres in the last 12 months.

Fiona Mactaggart: Information held centrally on physical restraint in secure training centres does not include the details requested.

Speeding

Gwyneth Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the recorded number of traffic speeding violations on roads with (a) a 30 mph speed limit and (b) a 40 mph speed limit has been in each year between 1994 and 2004.

Paul Goggins: Information on the number of traffic speeding violations is not held by my Department. Information is held on the number of convictions and for fixed penalty notices issued for speeding offences but this does not identify the speed band registered nor the classification of road on which the offence took place.

Speeding

Gwyneth Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much was collected by the Government in speeding fines in each year between 1994 and 2004.

Paul Goggins: Information on the total revenue from speeding fines is not collected centrally.

Steven John Toplass

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether national guidelines were in place at the time of Steven John Toplass's arrest in February 2004 to ensure that appropriate national law enforcement authorities through whose territories a UK-initiated and supervised controlled delivery would pass were made aware of its existence before the cargo concerned was loaded, with particular reference to Spain.

Hazel Blears: UK agencies engaged in controlled deliveries have standard operating procedures which provide operational guidelines. In addition operational service level agreements exist between relevant UK agencies and overseas partners to govern such operations. These agreements ensure that such operations are only undertaken with the agreement of appropriate authorities within the UK and with the agreement of appropriate national law enforcement authorities in the countries to which the cargo will pass. A European Union manual on controlled deliveries also exists. This manual provides details of the practices and procedures for controlled delivery operations in European Union countries. All these measures were in place in February 2004.

Taser Stun Guns

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his answer of 8 November 2005, Official Report, column 351W, on Taser stun guns, if he will provide the equivalent figures for the proceeding three years.

Hazel Blears: The Metropolitan police started to deploy Taser in April 2003. Taser is only deployed in circumstances where firearms officers are authorised to carry firearms and is deployed alongside conventional firearms so as to be available in appropriate circumstances as an alternative to them. The commissioner for the Metropolitan police has provided the information in the table.
	
		Metropolitan policedeployment of Taser
		
			 Month Deployed Fired 
		
		
			 April 2003 261 0 
			 May 2003 353 0 
			 June 2003 313 0 
			 July 2003 308 0 
			 August 2003 365 1 
			 September 2003 282 0 
			 October 2003 300 0 
			 November 2003 279 0 
			 December 2003 279 3 
			 January 2004 255 0 
			 February 2004 252 1 
			 March 2004 316 3 
			 April 2004 244 1 
			 May 2004 353 4 
			 June 2004 269 4 
			 July 2004 288 1 
			 August 2004 248 4 
			 September 2004 241 3

UK-controlled Deliveries

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many UK-controlled delivery operations took place involving (a) Spanish and (b) French territory between 1999 and 2004; and how many were aborted due to the detention of the cargo or driver by the (i) Spanish and (ii) French authorities.

Hazel Blears: Information on the number and target of controlled delivery operations is not collected centrally.

Victims of Crime

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what funds his Department allocated to programmes on (a) alternatives to custody for young offenders, (b) projects for witness protection, (c) projects to support victims of crime, (d) projects to promote restorative justice, (e) projects to help tackle alcohol abuse, (f) projects to help tackle drug and solvent abuse and (g) projects to help tackle domestic violence in 200405; on which programmes such money was spent in each case; how much each project has received; and if he will make a statement.

Fiona Mactaggart: This information is not held centrally and to obtain would incur disproportionate costs.

Violent Crime

Edward Vaizey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what steps he is taking to tackle violent crime;
	(2)  what steps the Government are taking to deal with alcohol-related crime.

Hazel Blears: The British Crime Survey shows that violent crime has fallen by 34 per cent. since 1997, and we are determined to see this trend continuing. Our work on sexual offences and gun and knife crime is set out in answers to other questions, so I will not repeat that information here; this reply focuses on our work to tackle alcohol-related crime and domestic violence.
	The Licensing Act 2003 will, from 24 November 2005, give the police and courts new powers to close disorderly and noisy premises, issue increased fines for breaching licence conditions and, with local residents, to seek licence reviews.
	With the Association of Chief Police Officers, we ran two national enforcement campaigns against alcohol-fuelled disorder and underage drinking during 2004. Further campaigns took place over Easter and summer 2005 and another began on 14 November.
	We have provided increased protection for domestic violence victims through the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004, which enables courts to legally protect victims from harassment. We are also rolling out a Specialist Domestic Violence Court programme across 25 areas, and plan to extend it next year. Criminal justice agencies are also improving their response to domestic violence through training front-line staff.
	Measures within the Violent Crime Reduction Bill, which is currently before Parliament, will give police and courts new powers to tackle violent criminals and ensure they are effectively punished; give police powers to require licensed pubs or clubs to search for weapons on entry, and; help achieve a culture change in binge drinking, deterring unacceptable behaviour, and protecting people from harm. It also provides new measures on guns and knives.

Violent Crime

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the percentage change in the level of violent crime in Gravesham has been in each year since 1997.

Hazel Blears: The available information relates to the Gravesham Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership (CDRP) area and is given in the tables. Statistics at CDRP level have only been collected since April 1999.
	It is estimated that the effect of the introduction nationally of the National Crime Recording Standard (NCRS) in April 2002 was a 20 per cent. increase in recorded violent crime in its first year.
	The second table does not contain a percentage increase for 200203 as this is heavily influenced by the impact of NCRS and is therefore not a real reflection of the change in violent crime.
	
		Percentage change in recorded violent crime in the Gravesham Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership area19992000 to 200102
		
			 Period Percentage change compared with previous 12 months 
		
		
			 19992000 n/a 
			 200001 -8 
			 200102 10 
		
	
	n/a = not available
	Note:
	The data in this table are prior to the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard. These figures are not directly comparable with those for later years.
	
		Percentage change in recorded violent crime in the Gravesham Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership area200203 to 200405
		
			 Period Percentage change compared with previous 12 months 
		
		
			 2002/03 (63) 
			 2003/04 17 
			 2004/05 27 
		
	
	(63) Percentage change compared with 200001 is 36 per cent. but this is heavily influenced by the impact of NCRS and is therefore not a real reflection of the change in violent crime.
	Note:
	The data in this table take account of the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard in April 2002. These figures are not directly comparable with those for earlier years.

Weapons (Internet Sales)

Anne Snelgrove: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions he has had with the other Government departments with a view to preventing the advertising and selling of less lethal weapons via the internet.

Hazel Blears: The internet is regulated by the application of existing law, which applies equally online and offline. It is an offence to sell seventeen offensive weapons, in addition to flick knives and gravity knives to a person of any age; to market a knife in a way which suggests it is suitable for combat; and to sell a knife to a person under 16. We are raising this to 18 in the Violent Crime Reduction Bill currently before Parliament.
	Tasers and incapacitant sprays using CS or PAVA are prohibited weapons and cannot be sold, purchased or possessed without authority from the Secretary of State. Baton guns are also controlled under firearms laws and, depending on their size, can be prohibited weapons.

Wheel Clamping

Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate his Department has made of the number of private firms that have a licence to operate wheel clamps in England and Wales, broken down by constituency.

Paul Goggins: The Private Security Industry Act 2001 does not require vehicle immobiliser firms to be licensed. It does require people who work as vehicle immobilisers to be licensed. As of 16 November the number of vehicle immobiliser operatives licences that have been issued regionally are as follows:
	
		
			 Region Front line operative Non-front line operative 
		
		
			 South West 66 10 
			 Wales 30 3 
			 Midlands 105 21 
			 North West 111 16 
			 North East 116 9 
			 Eastern 43 9 
			 South East 187 58 
			 London 219 22

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Adult Education

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  pursuant to the answer of 13 October 2005, Official Report, column 576W, on adult education, what assessment she has made of the affordability of courses for adults wishing to study for a non-basic skills qualification at a lower level than level 2 in 200607; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  what research she has conducted into the (a) ability and (b) willingness of (i) employers and (ii) individuals to pay an increased proportion of the cost of adult education courses.

Phil Hope: On 21 October, we made an announcement setting out the Government's strategic direction for the learning and skills sector for the coming period. Our main purpose for doing so was to ensure the 2006/07 funding allocations process began with a clear and concise message on the principles that will underpin funding over the next two years. Our funding priorities do not affect the existing arrangements whereby my Department funds free tuition for learners who are eligible, however, a rebalancing of responsibilities between Government, employers and learners is central to delivering our skills strategy. My Department will continue to waive fees for all young people; those taking literacy and numeracy; and learners receiving income-based benefits, the pension (guarantee) credit and those on higher levels of the working tax credit.
	My Department recently commissioned a public poll asking people about their attitudes towards fees in the learning and skills sector. We published a report of the findings on the Department's website on the 11 November. Other research includes a study of learners (Study of Learners in Further Education (2003)) to ascertain the financial circumstances of learners in FE; and a Prior Qualifications of Adult Learners survey which includes questions about learner attitudes to contributing to the costs of their learning. We have also commissioned two surveys (Fees in CollegesA Review Of The Use of Discretionary Fee Remission In Further Education (2003); and FE Colleges Fee Charging Policy and Practice (1999)) about fee policies and practices from the college's perspective. DfES published research findings are available on the Department's website at dfes.gov.uk/research/
	The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) is currently researching the impact of the new fee policies in the further education sector. LSC published research findings are available on their website at lsc.gov.uk
	There has been no specific research into employer attitudes to payment of fees for adult education courses.

Adult Education

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what estimate she has made of the number of over-45s seeking (a) further education and (b) skills training who were (i) in the workforce and (ii) seeking re-entry into the workforce in the last period for which figures are available.

Phil Hope: Analysis of the labour force survey of spring 2005 found that of the people living in England who were aged 45 or more: 9,050,000 were working; 260,000 were unemployed; and 10,499,000 were inactive.
	According to the national adult learning survey (2002): 79 per cent. of employed people aged over 45 had done some job-related learning during the previous three years. This compares with 57 per cent. for unemployed people, and 13 per cent. for inactive people of the same age range.
	The same survey also found that 58 per cent. of employed people aged 45 or more said they were very likely or fairly likely to do job-related training over the next three years. In comparison, 43 per cent. of unemployed people; and 16 per cent. of inactive people of the same age range said they were very likely or fairly likely to do job-related training over the next three years.
	The LSC's individual learner record data showed that in the academic year 2003/04 there were 1,200,000 people aged 45+ who had attended a course at an LSC- funded further education college. The activity status of these students is unknown. We also have no information on the number of people seeking further education.

Adult Education

Edward Balls: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many people aged (a) 30 to 39, (b) 40 to 49 and (c) 50 years and over received skills training in (i) West Yorkshire and (ii) Normanton constituency since 2001.

Phil Hope: Analysis of the Local Labour Force Surveys from 2001 to 2005 has produced the following results.
	
		Table 1: Percentage of working aged(64) people who have received skills training(65) in the four weeks prior to interview in West Yorkshire
		
			  Percentage of people receiving skills training 
			 Ageyear 2001/02 2002/03 2003/04 2004/05 
		
		
			 1629 22 26 22 21 
			 3039 15 16 15 14 
			 4049 13 12 13 13 
			 5059/64 9 8 7 8 
			 Total(66) 15 16 15 14 
		
	
	(64) Working age refers to men aged 16 to 64 and women aged 16 to 59.
	(65) Skills training is assumed to be job related training for current and future jobs in the four weeks prior to interview.
	(66) There were approximately 1,291,000 16 to 59/64-year-olds in West Yorkshire in 2004/05.
	Table 1 indicates that approximately 15 per cent. of 30 to 39-year-olds in West Yorkshire received skills training in 2001/02. Older people are less likely to do skills training than younger people. There has been no significant change within age groups in the period 2001 to 2004/05.
	
		Table 2: Percentage of working aged people who have received skills training(67) in the four weeks prior to interview in Normanton
		
			  Percentage of people receiving skills training 
			 Age/year 2001/02 2002/03 2003/04 2004/05 
		
		
			 Total 16 to 59/64(68) 14 13 16 13 
		
	
	(67) Skills training is assumed to be job related training for current and future jobs in the four weeks prior to interview.
	(68) There were approximately 54,000 16 to 59/64-year-olds in Normanton in 2004/05.
	Table 2 indicates that there is little difference between skills training in West Yorkshire as a whole and skills training in Normanton as a whole. The number of people receiving skills training within each age group, in Normanton, who were sampled in the LLFS was too small to yield any meaningful estimates.
	
		Table 3: Percentage of working aged people who have received skills training(69) in the four weeks prior to interview in Normanton, West Yorkshire and UK
		
			  Percentage of people receiving skills training 
			 Regionyear 2001/02 2002/03 2003/04 2004/05 
		
		
			 Normanton total 14 13 16 13 
			 West Yorkshire total(70) 15 16 15 14 
			 UK total(71) 15 15 14 14 
		
	
	(69) Skills training is assumed to be job related training for current and future jobs in the four weeks prior to interview.
	(70) There were approximately 1,291,000 16 to 59/64-year-olds in West Yorkshire in 2004/05.
	(71) The UK total for 2001/02 uses the LFS spring quarter 2001, 2002/03 uses LFS spring quarter 2002 and soon.
	There is little difference between the percentage of working aged people receiving skills training in Normanton compared to West Yorkshire and nationally.

Quality Mark

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many local education authorities are working with the Basic Skills Agency as part of a primary Quality Mark partnership.

Jacqui Smith: In England 138 of the 150 local authorities are in the Quality Mark partnership. In Wales all 22 of the LEAs are in the Quality Mark partnership.

Quality Mark

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many schools that were assessed for the Basic Skills Agency's Quality Mark failed to gain one.

Jacqui Smith: There are no figures available on the number of schools who do not attain the Quality Mark, since local authorities are responsible for carrying out the assessments and are not required by the Basic Skills Agency to provide figures on the numbers of schools which fail to gain the Quality Mark.

Quality Mark

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to the answer of 16 November 2005, Official Report, column 1280W, on the Basic Skills Agency, how many and what proportion of 11-year-olds achieved level 4 or above in (a) reading, (b) writing and (c) mathematics at (i) schools that had gained the Quality Mark from the Basic Skills Agency and (ii) other schools in the last year for which figures are available.

Jacqui Smith: The data requested are not available.

Building Schools for the Future Programme

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills who the owner of (a) assets created by and (b) land associated with a Local Education Partnership under the Building Schools for the Future programme will be (i) during and (ii) after the term of the private finance initiative.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 28 November 2005
	Local Education Partnerships are joint ventures, usually between local authorities, Partnerships for Schools and a private sector partner, which will deliver Building Schools for the Future (BSF) investment, using both conventional and private finance initiative (PFI) funding. They will not at any time own or control the assets of any school.
	Where a school is in a PFI contract, including in BSF, ownership of the land and buildings of the school is vested in the private sector partner for the life of the contract by way of an operating licence or lease. After that time, ownership of these assets reverts to the local authority, or in the case of a voluntary aided, trust or foundation school, to the voluntary aided body, the trust or the governing body as is appropriate. These bodies own the freehold of the land throughout the contract.

Bullying

Dan Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of different approaches to tackling bullying in schools; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of the no blame approach to tackling school bullying; and if she will make a statement.

Jacqui Smith: Our guidance to schools on tackling bullying Don't Suffer in Silence has been externally evaluated by researchers at Goldsmith's college, University of London. The results, though based on a fairly low response rate from schools, show that the schools found that the pack met their expectations and helped in drawing up their anti-bullying policies.
	This evaluation included research into the perceived success of the anti-bullying strategies and interventions recommended in the guidance. Schools generally reported a high level of satisfaction with the interventions they had used. I have placed a copy of the research brief for this project in the Library.
	The key feature of the 'No Blame' approach, is that it adopts an explicit stance of discouraging punishment as a response to bullying. The Department does not support this stance and neither does the Anti-Bullying Alliance. Our guidance is clear that support and mediation strategies to change behaviour can, and should, be used in tandem with sanctions where appropriate. We are reviewing the guidance to make this even more explicit.
	As we do not promote the 'No Blame' approach for use in schools, we have not undertaken any assessment of its effectiveness.

Departmental Priorities

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of Statefor Education and Skills what priorities the Department has set for 200506; and if she will make a statement.

Ruth Kelly: My priorities for this year are:
	Improving school education by tailoring the offer to the needs of each pupil, allowing schools greater freedom to specialise in what they do best and increasing choice for all parents and pupils so that they have access to the best schools, as set out in the Schools White Paper, Higher Standards, Better Schools For All;
	Implementing the 14 to19 reforms so that young people can choose a vocational training route alongside more traditional academic education;
	Implementing the Skills Strategy to ensure that employers, employees and low skilled individuals have access to the training they need alongside reform of the FE sector to ensure it is placed to deliver these changes;
	Implementing the new HE student support arrangements and ensuring that young people fully understand them so that participation in HE increases, particularly among those from disadvantaged backgrounds;
	Introducing the Childcare Bill to provide a legislative framework for our 10-year Childcare Strategy; and
	Continuing to make progress towards our challenging PSA targets.
	These will all be achieved within the context of a Department which is smaller and more strategic, with the skills to raise standards for children and learners across the board.
	The Department's five-year strategy for children and learners (Command ref: 6272] sets out our longer term priorities.

Departmental Staff

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many personnel were employed in her Department in each year since 1997, broken down by (a) civil servants, (b) contractors and (c) other staff.

Maria Eagle: I refer the hon. Member to table c of civil service statistics 2004, which shows permanent FTE staff numbers between 1998 and 2004 for each Department and agency. Civil service statistics 2004 are available in the Library and on the Cabinet Office statistics website at:
	http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/management of the civil service/statistics/civil service statistics/index.asp
	The data for 1997 is in table c in civil service statistics 2003.
	The number of contractors engaged by my Department is not collected centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
	The number of days that agency staff were engaged in my Department in each of the last three complete calendar years were:
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 2004 16,940 
			 2003 27,087 
			 2002 31,229 
		
	
	Statistics on agency staff are held in days only. Numbers for earlier years are not available.

Departmental Staff

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to her answer of 1 November 2005, Official Report, column 997W, on departmental staff, how much her Department has paid the tutor in basic skills to date.

Bill Rammell: My Department has made no payment to the basic skills tutor as adult basic skills tuition is delivered at no charge to learners who are eligible for funding from the Learning and Skills Council.
	We have paid the Adult Education Service 1500 to tailor a programme for facilities management staff in the Department.

Examination Standards

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what discussions she has had with (a) examination boards and (b) awarding bodies in respect of (i) examinations, (ii) marking and (iii) grading for 2006; and if she will make a statement.

Jacqui Smith: Ministers in the Department have had no discussion with awarding bodies in respect of examinations, marking and grading for 2006. Awarding bodies are independent of Government. It is the role of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority and the other regulatory authorities to regulate awarding bodies and to discuss with them issues around standards and delivery of public examinations.

Free School Meals

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many recipients of free school meals there are in each school in the Oxford, East constituency.

Jacqui Smith: Information on free school meals in maintained nursery, primary and secondary schools in the Oxford, East constituency is shown in the table.
	
		Maintained nursery, primary and secondary schools(72): School meal arrangements(73), Oxford, East parliamentary constituency,January 2005
		
			 URN LEA Estab School name Number on roll  Number of pupils taking free school meals(74)  Percentage of pupils taking free school meals(74) Number of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals Percentage of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 
		
		
			 122967 931 1005 Bartlemas Nursery School 75 11 14.7 11 14.7 
			 122968 931 1006 Headington Nursery School 71 3 4.2 4 5.6 
			 122969 931 1010 Grandpont Nursery School 69 (75) (75) (75) (75) 
			 122970 931 1011 Slade Nursery School 55 7 12.7 n/a n/a 
			 123021 931 2352 St. Nicholas Primary School 279 25 9.0 36 12.9 
			 123027 931 2401 Sandhills Community Primary School 190 8 4.2 15 7.9 
			 123044 931 2521 Bayards Hill Primary School 351 78 22.2 161 45.9 
			 123046 931 2525 East Oxford Primary School 291 86 29.6 110 37.8 
			 123047 931 2527 The Windmill Primary School 386 24 6.2 34 8.8 
			 123048 931 2529 New Marston Primary School 235 20 8.5 59 25.1 
			 123049 931 2531 Rose Hill Primary School 329 69 21.0 130 39.5 
			 123052 931 2539 Orchard Meadow Primary School 328 100 30.5 157 47.9 
			 123053 931 2543 Larkrise Primary School 293 42 14.3 66 22.5 
			 123074 931 2589 Wood Farm Primary School 235 32 13.6 83 35.3 
			 123078 931 2593 Pegasus School 473 n/a n/a 156 33.0 
			 123088 931 2606 Windale Community Primary School 317 66 20.8 120 37.9 
			 132752 931 2612 The John Henry Newman CE (A) Primary School 356 49 13.8 81 22.8 
			 123139 931 3210 Church Cowley St. James Church of England Primary School 467 36 7.7 71 15.2 
			 123140 931 3211 St. Andrew's Church of England Primary School 297 38 12.8 54 18.2 
			 123142 931 3213 New Hinksey Church of England Primary School 91 20 22.0 22 24.2 
			 123143 931 3216 St. Michael's Church of England Primary School 205 14 6.8 43 21.0 
			 123171 931 3252 St Christopher's Church of England School, Cowley 323 76 23.5 88 27.2 
			 123172 931 3253 St. Francis Church of England Primary School 295 43 14.6 70 23.7 
			 123212 931 3833 St. Ebbe's Church of England Aided First School 270 11 4.1 34 12.6 
			 123213 931 3834 SS Mary and John Church of England Primary School 329 15 4.6 35 10.6 
			 123215 931 3836 Our Lady's Catholic Primary School 308 13 4.2 32 10.4 
			 123216 931 3838 St. Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Oxford 306 9 2.9 9 2.9 
			 123217 931 3839 St. John Fisher Catholic Primary School, Littlemore 207 34 16.4 48 23.2 
			 123242 931 4074 Peers School 1,049 203 19.4 243 23.2 
			 123252 931 4117 Oxford Community School 1,112 155 13.9 320 28.8 
			 123253 931 4120 Cheney School 1,429 129 9.0 226 15.8 
			 133644 931 4145 St. Gregory the Great VA Catholic Secondary School 950 105 11.1 185 19.5 
		
	
	(72) Includes middles schools as deemed.
	(73) Includes dually registered and boarding pupils.
	(74) Based upon school level numbers of pupils who had a free school meal on 20 January 2005.
	(75) Less than 3 or a rate based on less than 3.
	Source:
	Annual Schools Census.

Freedom of Information

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many Freedom of Information applications her Department has received; how many have taken more than 20 days to process; and how many of these gave rise to complaints about the time taken.

Maria Eagle: From January 2005, when the Freedom of Information Act took effect, to June 2005, the Department for Education and Skills received 340 Freedom of Information requests for information of which 29 took more than 20 working days to process giving rise to two complaints about the time taken. The Department for Constitutional Affairs is committed to publishing quarterly updates in relation to departmental performance under FOI, including information on both the volume and outcomes of requests. The bulletin for the second quarter was published on 30 September 2005 and can be found on the DCA website at http://www.foi.gov.uk/statsapar-jun05.htm and in the Libraries of both Houses. The next bulletin for the third quarter will be will be published before Christmas, while an annual report will be published in early 2006.

Missing Children

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many children were reported missing from care in each year since 1997, broken down by local authority area.

Maria Eagle: The information requested may be found on the Department's website at: http://www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/DBA/VOL/v000569/index.shtml.

Further Education

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to the answer of 31 October 2005, Official Report, columns 8178W, on further education, how much funding was allocated to the learner support funds in further education in 200405.

Bill Rammell: The following table shows the Department of Education and Skills' expenditure on financial support for learning in FE between 200304 and 20078 (actual and planned). All amounts are rounded to the nearest 1 million.
	
		
			  Actual Planned 
			  200304 200405 200506 200607 200708 
		
		
			 Learner support funds 158 148 122 125 130 
			 Other financial support for learners 171 305 474 586 610 
			   
			 Total financial support for learners in FE 329 453 596 711 740

Further Education

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what measures are being taken to ensure that students in the bottom two socio-economic groups are encouraged into further education.

Bill Rammell: The Government's 1419 Education and Skills White Paper sets out the prime objective of our 1419 strategy to ensure all young people have opportunities to stay on and achieve their full potential in learning post-16. We are doing this through widening choice in the curriculum, improving the quality of the learning experience, and providing young people with the guidance and financial support they need. Particularly relevant measures for the bottom two socio-economic groups are:
	the pre and post 16 Entry to Employment programmes(work based learning designed to help disadvantaged or disaffected young people overcome often serious barriers to learning).
	the Connexions Service (a front line support service for all young people offering advice on careers and lifestyle issues)
	a range of financial support and incentives (especially the income-tested educational maintenance allowance, a weekly payment of up to 30 designed to encourage young people to stay in learning).

Gifted and Talented Youth

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to the answer of 7 November 2005 to the hon. Member for Bognor Regis and Littlehampton (Mr. Gibb), Official Report, column 118W, on gifted and talented youth, how many members of the National Academy of Gifted and Talented Youth there are in each school in Staffordshire.

Jacqui Smith: There are 863 members of the National Academy for Gifted and Talented Youth (NAGTY) in Staffordshire schools. The following table includes all Staffordshire local education authority schools plus those independent schools with NAGTY members.
	
		Staffordshire
		
			 School NAGTY members 
		
		
			 Abbot Beyne School 37 
			 Alleyne's High School A Technology School 69 
			 Belgrave High School 0 
			 Biddulph High School 1 
			 Blake Valley Technology College 38 
			 Blessed William Howard Catholic School 0 
			 Blythe Bridge High School 17 
			 Cannock Chase High School 28 
			 Cardinal Griffin Catholic High School 1 
			 Chase Terrace Technology College 0 
			 Chasetown High School 3 
			 Chasetown Specialist Sports College 0 
			 Cheadle High School 0 
			 Cheslyn Hay Sport and Community College 0 
			 Chesterton Community High School 0 
			 Clayton Hall Business and Language College 48 
			 Clough Hall Technology School 17 
			 Codsall Community High School 22 
			 Codsall Middle School 10 
			 De Ferrers Specialist Technology College 44 
			 Denstone College 34 
			 Edenhurst Preparatory School 1 
			 Edgecliff High School 0 
			 Endon High School 0 
			 Fair Oak Business and Enterprise College 6 
			 Great Wyrley High School 18 
			 Hagley Park Sports College 0 
			 John Taylor High School 70 
			 King Edward VI High School 0 
			 King Edward VI School 0 
			 Kingsmead Technology College 1 
			 Leek High School 0 
			 Madeley High School 15 
			 Maryhill High School 0 
			 Moorside High School 8 
			 Nether Stowe High School 25 
			 Newcastle Community High School 1 
			 Norton Canes High School 0 
			 Ounsdale High School 0 
			 Paget High School 0 
			 Painsley Catholic High School 96 
			 Paulet High School 1 
			 Penkridge Middle School 10 
			 Queen Elizabeth's Mercian School 1 
			 Rawlett School 1 
			 Rising Brook High School 0 
			 Robert Sutton Catholic School 6 
			 Sir Graham Balfour High School 0 
			 Sir Thomas Boughey High School 0 
			 St. Dominic's Priory School 34 
			 St. John Fisher Catholic High School 10 
			 Stafford Grammar School 27 
			 The Friary School 1 
			 The Moorlands Sixth Form Centre 1 
			 Thomas Alleyne's High School 28 
			 Torc High School 0 
			 Walton High School 81 
			 Weston Road High School 17 
			 Westwood High School 0 
			 Wilnecote High School 1 
			 Windsor Park Church of England Middle School 3 
			 Wolgarston High School 0 
			 Wolstanton High School 31 
			 Woodhouse High School 0 
			 Total 863

Leadership Training

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment she has made of the leadership training involved in the (a) Teach First and (b) Fast Track Teaching schemes.

Jacqui Smith: We have commissioned an independent five year evaluation of the Fast Track Teaching programme, which is due to report in 2008. An interim report will be published by the Department in early 2006. This will assess key aspects of Fast Track, including the provision of leadership training. The Training and Development Agency for Schools is funding an evaluation of the initial teacher training element of Teach First.

Leadership Training

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how the leadership skills of participants in the (a) Teach First and (b) Fast Track Teaching scheme are assessed.

Jacqui Smith: In order to be offered a place on either Teach First or the Fast Track teaching programme, applicants are required to demonstrate their leadership potential in a challenging multi-stage selection process. Both programmes use a competency-based application sift and each has its own assessment centre.
	Teach First recruits high-calibre graduates to train and qualify as teachers. It runs a compulsory leadership programme in partnership with the Tanaka Business School at Imperial College and the Institute of Education, amongst others. This Foundations of Leadership Programme aims to develop participants' leadership and entrepreneurial skills through internship, coaching, school-based projects and competitions and skills training.
	Fast Track recruits teachers in the early years of their teaching career. It supports participants' accelerated leadership development by providing a programme of coaching support, mentoring and development activities, tailored to individual need. Fast Track teachers are assessed against a leadership impact scale which allows their progress to be benchmarked. The ultimate test of these teachers' leadership skills is to compete against other applicants for leadership roles. A number of Teach First participants and Fast Track teachers have achieved leadership positions in their schools. The first Fast Trackteacher to achieve a headship will take up her new post in January 2006.

Learning and Skills Council

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to the answer of 18 October 2005 to the hon. Member for Fareham (Mr. Hoban), Official Report, column 962W, on the Learning and Skills Council, what (a) level 4, (b) level 5 and (c) higher education courses the Learning and Skills Council funded in 200304.

Bill Rammell: The Learning and Skills Council funded a wide range of non-prescribed higher education at level 4, 5 and higher education in 2003/04, including national vocational qualifications; diplomas (including graduate and postgraduate diplomas); graduateship, associateship and fellowship qualifications; qualifications in teaching further education; and other professional and management qualifications.

Learning and Skills Council

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans she has to introduce Ofsted inspections for the Learning and Skills Council.

Jacqui Smith: The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) is a non-departmental public body, responsible for funding and planning education and training for over 16-year-olds. It is not itself a learning provider, and is not therefore subject to inspection by Ofsted or the adult learning inspectorate (ALI), although the provision it funds is.

National Skills Academies

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Bognor Regis and Littlehampton (Mr. Gibb) of 17 November 2005, Official Report, column 1456W, on national skills academies, if she will set out the individuals, companies and other bodies who will be preparing the business plans for the first four sectors of the National Skills Academy programme.

Phil Hope: Each of the four proposals to develop National Skills Academies now moving into detailed business planning are led by the appropriate sector skills council. The sector skills councils are construction skills, the financial services sector skills council, improve (covering the food and drink manufacturing sector) and SEMTA which is leading the development of the proposal for a Manufacturing National Skills Academy.
	In the four sectors a number of well-known companies have been involved in developing the proposals for National Skills Academies. This includes Bovis Lend Lease and Kier Homes (construction), Nationwide Building Society and Norwich Union (financial services) Northern Foods plc and Youngs Bluecrest Seafood Ltd (food and drink) Filtronics Components Ltd and Caterpillar (manufacturing). We expect that each of the sector skills councils will continue to work with these employers and to engage others across the sector as they develop their detailed business plans with the Learning and Skills Council. I will ask Mark Haysom, chief executive of the Learning and Skills Council to write to my hon. Friend with full details of the employers involved in the first National Skills Academies, once business plans have been agreed.

National Vocational Qualifications

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assistance the Government are giving adults to pursue national vocational qualifications; and if she will make a statement.

Phil Hope: holding answer 23 November 2005
	The second skills White Paper, Skills: Getting on in business, getting on in work published in March 2005, reaffirmed our commitment that all individualswhether employed or not can get the skills and qualifications they need for sustained and rewarding work, and for personal growth in order for them to maximise their contribution to their communities and society.
	The Learning and Skills Council heavily subsidises adults undertaking national vocational qualificationscurrently at least 72.5 per cent. of the course fees are paid from public funds. In addition it provides free tuition to those adults who have not yet achieved a first full Level 2 qualification, equivalent to five good GCSEs or an NVQ2. Today, there are around 10 million adults in England who lack a full Level 2 qualification and it is vital for the nation's social and economic future that they receive the help and support they need to achieve a platform of skills for employability. The Government's target is to reduce the number of people in the workforce lacking a full Level 2 or equivalent qualification by 40 per cent. (3.6 million) by 2010.
	There are a number of other assistance channels for adult learners, which, depending upon individual circumstances, could include an adult learning grant which pays up to 30 a week for those on low incomes studying full-time (defined as at least 12 hours per week) for a first full Level 2 and for a first Level 3 for those between 1930, access to an integrated information and advice service through learndirect and local nextstep services, additional help from Learner Support Funds for those who need extra help with child care, transport costs and other costs of learning, and skills coaching from April 2005 (in eight Jobcentre Plus areas) offering intensive personal guidance service for adults on inactive and active benefits to help them move into sustainable employment

Pre-school Education

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on trends in (a) emotional and social development and (b) linguistic skills in pre-school children.

Beverley Hughes: holding answer 24 November 2005
	2004 is the first year for which full official results for the foundation stage profile are available. These show that, across England as a whole, 83.7 percent. of children achieved a score of 18 or higher across the three assessment scales within the personal, social and emotional development area of learning, while 77.4 percent. achieved a total of 24 or higher across the four assessment scales within the communications, language and literacy area of learning. Children assessed as scoring six points on any assessment scale within the foundation stage profile are working securely within a wide range of goals across a broad curriculum.
	We shall continue to monitor trends within the foundation stage profile results in the future.
	Results from the Sure Start Language Measure (SSLM) show a significant rise in the percentage of children with both high word scores and parents free from concern about their child's language, rising from 70 percent. in 2001 to 76 percent. in 2004. Results from the 2005 SSLM national data collection are still being analysed.

Schools

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps her Department is taking to encourage schools to select pupils by aptitude.

Jacqui Smith: It is for schools' admission authorities to determine whether they wish to adopt such arrangements.

Schools

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what research her Department has undertaken into the relationship between a school's admissions policy and its stated ethos.

Jacqui Smith: My Department has not commissioned research into the relationship between a school's admission policy and its ethos.

Schools

Andrew Pelling: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proportion of the Transforming Youth Work (Development Funding) funding stream from the Government Office for London was made available to the London borough of Croydon in 200405.

Maria Eagle: London borough of Croydon received 57,666 in 2004/05 from the Transforming Youth Work Development Fund. Croydon's proportion of the London regional allocation (1,340.876) was 4.3 per cent.

Schools

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what guidance is given to local authorities when tendering for school transport on ensuring confidentiality of the identity of young people.

Maria Eagle: Confidentiality of information is governed by the Data Protection Act 1998. Further advice is contained in the Disability Rights Commission code of practice for schools. This recognises that information is often needed in order for authorities to make reasonable adjustments to cater for the transport requirements of a child with special needs. It explains that schools should seek the necessary consents before passing such information on. It is also clear that, should a request for confidentiality under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 be made, information may not, from that point, be passed on for the purposes of making reasonable adjustments.

Schools

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how the role of the Northamptonshire local education authority will change as a result of the proposals in the recent schools White Paper.

Jacqui Smith: [holding answer 28 November 2005): The White Paper sets out an enhanced role for local authorities as the champions of parents and pupils, rather than the direct provider of school places. Local authorities will have new powers to commission school places and to intervene where provision is poor.
	We expect all local authorities, including Northamptonshire to take on this role. However it will be for Northamptonshire local authority to determine their priorities on the basis of local need, and in accordance with relevant statutory provisions and guidance.

Scout Association

Stephen Pound: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what financial support is to be provided to assist the UK Scout Association in hosting the centenary programme in 2007.

Maria Eagle: There are currently no plans to provide funding specifically for the centenary event. However, the DfES is currently providing funding to the Scouts of 309,453 over the three year period 200508 through the National Voluntary Organisations Grant Scheme.

Specialist Schools

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many children with (a) special needs and (b) social and behavioural needs are being taught in specialist schools in (i) England and (ii) the Tees Valley.

Maria Eagle: Information on the number of pupils with special educational needs and behaviour, emotional and social difficulties in specialist schools and special schools is shown in the table.
	
		Specialist schools and special schools: Number and percentage of pupils with special educational needsJanuary 2005:England and Tees Valley
		
			  Number of schools Total pupils Pupils with a statement of SEN Pupils with SEN without statements Pupils whose primary need is behaviour, emotional and social difficulties(76) 
			Number Percentage(77) Number Percentage(78) Number Percentage4 
		
		
			 Specialist schools(80) 
			 England 1,954 2,151,170 49,470 2.3 277,850 12.9 34,790 27.0 
			 Tees Valley(81) 27 26,800 1,010 3.8 3,950 14.7 570 22.4 
			  
			 Special Schools7, 8 
			 England 1,122 90,370 88,030 97.4 1,790 2.0 12,470 13.9 
			 Tees Valley(81) 13 1,520 1,500 98.7 20 1.3 280 18.2 
		
	
	(76) Pupils at School Action Plus and those with a statement of SEN provided information on their primary need and, if appropriate, their secondary need. Information on their primary need only is given here.
	(77) Number of pupils with statements expressed as a percentage of the total number of pupils on roll.
	(78) Number of pupils with SEN without a statement expressed as a percentage of the total number of pupils on roll.
	(79) Number of pupils with behaviour, emotional and social difficulties expressed as a percentage of all pupils at School Action Plus or with a statement of SEN.
	(80) Includes maintained secondary schools and special schools designated as specialist schools as at January 2005.
	(81) Includes Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland, Stockton-on-Tees and Darlington local authorities.
	(82) Includes maintained and non-maintained special schools.
	(83) Number and percentage of pupils with SEN without statements and pupils by type of need excludes general hospital schools.
	Note:
	Pupil numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10.
	Source:
	Annual Schools' Census
	Information was collected from schools on pupils at School Action Plus and those pupils with a statement or SEN about their main or primary need and, if appropriate, their secondary need fro the first time in 2004.
	There are a range of factors which may affect the data recorded, including:
	Local interpretation of definitions
	Classification of children with multiple needs
	Differences in diagnoses between education and health professionals
	Availability of special provisions in Authorities

Swimming

Julian Brazier: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment she has made of performance against the key stage 2 target on swimming by schools in each of the last five years.

Jacqui Smith: This information is not collected centrally on a regular basis. In 2000, an Ofsted report on swimming at key stage 2 found that 83 per cent. of pupils could swim the 25 metre standard. It also found that the teaching of swimming was good or better in four out of five lessons.
	Our Physical Education, School Sport and Club Links strategy, being implemented jointly with the Department of Culture, Media and Sport, provides targeted support to enhance school swimming. Since 2001, we have:
	created a new swimming and water safety website
	(www.nc.uk.net/safeswimming) which provides practical support for schools and swimming teachers;
	published, in December 2003, a Swimming Charter, which sets out guidelines, shares best practice and provides practical support to help schools overcome many of the challenges they face when planning and delivering swimming; and
	carried out a pilot programme which tested out how best to support those children who reach the end of key stage 2 and are not able to swim 25 metres.
	As a result of the success of the pilot, we intend to implement this programme nationally from April 2006. 5.5 million has been allocated to support a national key stage 2 swimming scheme between April 2006 and March 2008.

Teachers

Michael Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many teachers of (a) physics and (b) mathematics do not hold a degree level qualification in a relevant subject; what estimate she has made of the percentage of teachers with a physics, mathematics or engineering degree who are likely to retire in the next 10 years; and what the availability is of supply teachers with appropriate subject qualifications.

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many teachers of physics at (a) A-level, (b) AS-level and (c) GCSE level had a degree in physics in the latest period for which figures are available, broken down by Key Stage.

Jacqui Smith: The information is not available in the format requested.
	Table 24 of the Statistics of Education, School Workforce in England Volume, 2004 edition, shows the highest qualification held by secondary school teachers in the subjects that they taught to years 7 to 13 in 2002, the latest year for which data are available. A copy of the volume has been placed in the House of Commons Library. It may also be accessed at the following URL: http://www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/VOL/v000554/index.shtml.
	Table 25 of the same publication provides the proportion of subject periods delivered by teachers with a degree level qualification in that subject.
	Table 5 of the Secondary Schools Curriculum and Staffing Survey 2002 Statistical First Release shows the age breakdown of full time teachers by subject of highest post A-level qualification. A copy of the Statistical First Release has been placed in the House of Commons Library. It may also be accessed at the following URL: http://www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000413/sfr252003.pdf.
	There is no fixed retirement age for teachers, although unreduced pension benefits are payable under the provisions of the Teachers' Pension Scheme to existing scheme members from age 60. Teachers currently aged 53 and over will reach age 60 by 2012 and would be able to take their pension benefits at that point. Actuarially reduced pension benefits are also available to members of the Teachers' Pension Scheme between the ages of 55 and 60.
	Information is not available on the qualifications of supply teachers or the numbers of teachers who teach their degree or related subject by examination or key stage level.

Teachers

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  what steps the Department takes to manage the number of teacher trainees in different subjects to ensure adequacy of supply;
	(2)  what assessment the Department has made of the ratio of supply and demand for teachers of modern languages.

Jacqui Smith: The number of initial teacher training places, including those for modern foreign languages, made available each year are agreed between the Department and the Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA). Their decision is informed by the teacher supply models, which take into account recent and expected flows in and out of teaching, the age structure of the teaching profession, the latest pupil projections and expected changes in demand arising from new policy initiatives with an analysis by age, phase and (for secondary schools) subject. These also take account of expected wastage during training. Consideration is also given to:
	the latest evidence on vacancy rate by subject
	the evidence of the secondary schools curriculum and staffing survey e.g. on levels of out-of-subject teaching
	evidence from Ofsted on particular subjects, where available
	the desirability for a degree of stability in the training provider market.
	Since 2000 we have provided 6,000 bursaries to all PGCE trainee teachers. We have also provided those teaching priority subjects, which includes modern foreign languages, with a 4,000 Golden Hello once they have successfully completed their induction. From September 2005 trainee science and maths teachers have received an enhanced bursary of 7,000 bursary and a 5,000 Golden Hello. The financial package remained the same for other subjects. For PGCE trainee teachers of secondary priority subjects the bursary will increase again from September 2006 to 9,000. Those teachers who received the increased bursary will also be provided with a Golden Hello, of 5,000 for those teaching maths and science and 2,500 for other priority subjects, once they have successfully completed their induction.

Teachers

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what research she has evaluated on what motivates (a) teachers and (b) administrators to enter the education sector at (i) primary, (ii) secondary, (iii) further education and (iv) university level.

Jacqui Smith: In 2003, the Department, in collaboration with the General Teaching Council for England (GTCE) and the Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA), commissioned a six year study of teachers' experiences of initial teacher training and early professional development in England entitled Becoming a Teacher. This has already explored what motivates people to enter the teaching profession.
	This research has revealed that the three most influential sets of reasons which attracted the survey respondents to undertake an initial teacher training programme were related to: altruistic motives e.g. helping young people to learn; the perceived benefits of teaching and training e.g. long holidays; and being a teacher in today's society e.g. the challenging nature of the job.
	The research has further revealed some differences across teaching phases, including: more primary trainees than secondary trainees were attracted by working with children and young people, and helping young people to learn; while at the same time, a higher proportion of secondary trainees than primary were attracted by staying involved with a subject specialism and opportunities for career development.
	We have also looked at what motivates teachers in further education as part of a recent study entitled Recruitment and Retention in the Post-16 Learning and Skills Sector. Respondents cited a range of factors, including wanting to help people to develop and wanting to work with a wider range of people/learners. The two major personal reasons mentioned by respondents were for their own personal development and wanting to change their career path.
	In relation to university level, we have also funded a study by the National Institute of Economic and Social Research called the 'Recruitment and Retention of Academic Staff in Higher Education'. This looked at what motivates existing staff, and what the motivating factors are attracting staff into higher education. The motivating factors included: teaching; ability to undertake personal research; flexibility of hours; autonomy; and stability of employment.
	We do not have any specific research results on what motivates administrators in schools, the learning and skills sector, or at university level.

Vocational Qualifications

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to her answer of 3 November 2005, Official Report, column 1326W, on vocational qualifications, how many 15-year-olds achieved five A*-C grades at GCSE or equivalent, including a full intermediate GNVQ (a) as a proportion of all 15-year-olds and (b) as a proportion of all 15-year-olds who achieved five grades A*-C at GCSE or equivalent.

Phil Hope: Provisional figures for 2005 are available in the following table:
	
		Proportions of 15-year-old pupils1 achieving five A*-C grades at GCSE and equivalent including a full intermediate GNVQ in 2005(85)
		
			  
		
		
			 Five A*-C grades at GCSE and equivalent including a full intermediate GNVQ 4,666 
			 Total number of 15-year-old pupils 637,194 
			 Percentage of all 15-year-olds who achieved five A*-C at GCSE and equivalent including a full intermediate GNVQ 0.7 
			 Five A*-C grades at GCSE and equivalent including a full intermediate GNVQ 4,666 
			 Five A*-C grades at GCSE and equivalent 23,688 
			 Percentage of those achieving five A*-C grades at GCSE and equivalent whose achievement included a full intermediate GNVQ 19.7 
		
	
	(84) Pupils aged 15 at the beginning of the academic year (i.e. 31 August).
	(85) Figures for 2005 are provisional.
	Note:
	These figures are only based on those who achieved five A*-C GCSE and equivalent results, not five or more A*-C GCSE and equivalent results.

Young Apprenticeship Scheme

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much the Young Apprenticeship Scheme (a) cost in 200405 and (b) is expected to cost in (i) 200506 and (ii) 200708; how many people dropped out of the scheme in 200405; whether schools will be able to use grades from the scheme in their GCSE league tables; how scheme grades are calibrated; and how they relate to the calibration for GCSE.

Phil Hope: There are around 1,000 pupils on cohort 1 of the programme, which began in September 2004, and around 2,000 on cohort 2, which began in September 2005.
	Funding for the delivery of the Young Apprenticeship (YA) Programme is routed to local partnerships via the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) on an individual pupil basis. A total of up to 6,000 per pupil is available for the two years of the programme, 3,500 in the first and 2,500 in the second year.
	In addition, the Department are providing funding to the Sector Skills Councils (SSCs) and sector bodies involved in the programme, to provide strategic input to policy development on behalf of their sectors and develop sector support for partnerships and teachers.
	In 200405 the Young Apprenticeship Programme cost 3,948,855.63, of which 3,153,000 was allocated through the Learning and Skills Council to cover pupil costs and LSC support for partnerships, the remainder being allocated by the Department for central and sector specific support.
	In 200506 the programme is expected to cost in the region of 10,700,000. Costs in 200708 (and in 200607) will depend on the number of pupils on the programme, yet to be confirmed.
	Confirmed figures for the number of pupils who dropped out of the scheme in 200405 will not be known until the analysis of baseline data has been completed. This is currently scheduled for the end of 2005.
	No new qualifications have been developed for the YA programme. Pupils are studying existing qualifications, which are approved as appropriate for use pre-16, either GCSEs in vocational subjects, NVQs or vocationally-related qualifications. SSCs and sector bodies have provided advice on which qualifications are most appropriate to accredit achievement in particular sectors and have clear progression routes post-16. Pupils on the programme are expected to achieve Level 2 outcomes (equivalent to A* to C at GCSE). The qualifications all have an established equivalence to GCSEs in the Secondary Achievement and Attainment Tables. Qualification outcomes for pupils on the programme will be included in the table for their school.